To Steal From an Assassin
by Fang500
Summary: Nika steals from Ezio, then La Volpe tells her that she has to join the Brotherhood of Assassins. The old version. It's being put up for a limited time. Please, any critique or helpful thoughts will be welcome. If some of you can read to find my plot-holes, I'd very much appreciate it.
1. Chapter 1

Nika had never actually met Ezio Auditore de Firenze, _l'assassino_ and _il salvatore_ of Italia. However, working for La Volpe, master thief and head of the Thief Guild, she heard of him a bit more than the usual Italiano. Due do the recent problems prominent not only among the thieves, but the courtesans as well, La Volpe trusted a precious few of his thieves to perform tasks for _l'assassino_. Nika wasn't so sure she was proud to be one of those select few.

On the one hand, she was rather flattered that La Volpe himself had handpicked her and three others to run certain tasks that would help _l'assassino_ in his duty to save Italia and exact revenge for the death of his _famiglia_.. La Volpe was like a father and big brother to her. He had saved her worthless life, seeing something in her that no other person had deigned to see, and gave her another life among the guild, with a new name. 'Nika' meant 'useful' and 'bringer of victory', and that's what she was for La Volpe. When the others failed him, she didn't. That's why, when something particularly important came up, she was sent to finish it if La Volpe was indisposed.

However, on the other hand, working for La Volpe in regards to _l'assassino_ brought more danger and problems than it was sometimes worth. Being loyal to the Auditore _famiglia_ oftentimes meant imminent danger and certain death, and already Emilio, one of the select few, had died in the name of _l'assassino_ Auditore. Would she, Lukah, and Raffaello suffer the same fate? Nika didn't want to die if it could be helped, but she was loyal first and foremost to La Volpe, and if he asked her to jump in front of bullet or blade to save someone, rather it be himself or _l'assassino_, she wouldn't think twice about doing it. She was expendable in the greater scheme of things and she knew it. She knew her place, knew she was but a pawn for people like _l'assassino_, La Volpe and Machiavelli, and so did Lukah and Raffaello. That's probably why La Volpe had picked the lot of them.

Yet, it probably would have saved her a lot of trouble had she actually met the man. Nika was a thief by nature, long before La Volpe picked her off the streets. The only difference in her thieving then and thieving now, was that she was now trained by La Volpe in ways no common thief was. So, it was no surprise really when one particular morning found Nika prowling the streets of Roma, far away from _La Volpe Addormentata_. Already, she had gathered quite the amount of coin and pretty objects. Lukah and his wife, Rachelle, had recently had a baby girl and Nika was determined to get enough coin to buy each of them a gift of congratulations. La Volpe had already provided them with a little bed for the baby, but clothes and toys could always be handy for one so young.

So, Nika made it her goal to target every well dressed person on the streets, even the occasional guard. It was a pleasant surprise when she ran across a middle-aged man dressed in a well made tunic and breeches of the darkest black and richest blue. He had no weapons on him, that Nika could see, and a small group of Claudia's girls were currently distracting him. Nika watched as he flirted with the women, almost amused by it herself. Any man who flirted with a courtesan like that was a desperate man indeed.

Nika waited, and watched the man, until a group of young men walked by, talking about the latest art being sold only two streets over. She surreptitiously joined them, pleased when they only momentarily glanced at her before continuing their conversation. Just as they passed behind the _pazzo in fronzoli_, she reached out and cut the fat purse from his belt. Any normal person would have continued on flirting with the courtesans, oblivious to the sudden lightness on his belt. Nika didn't make it a habit of misjudging people.

She saw the man stiffen, his back straightening, and his head snapping in her direction even as his hand made it's way down to his belt, where the purse once hung, before she took off running. The man didn't even call out a farewell to the courtesans. Instead, he was hot on her heels.

Nika had always prided herself in being a fast runner, but this man ran like a hound of hell. Nika took to the rooftops, not many would do that and rich man definitely wouldn't, so when her pursuer followed, she knew this was no mere rich man. She dashed across the rooftops of Rome, with no destination in particular, only taking care to keep away from _La Volpe Addormentata_. What if this man was a guard off duty? That would certainly explain the ability to keep up with her and run across rooftops with as much ease as one of La Volpe's own. And if that was the case, then she would be in a lot of shit if she led him back to the thieves headquarters and the guard became more aware that the 'inn' wasn't quite what it seemed to be. So, she ran in the opposite direction, away from headquarters and away from help. She got herself into this mess, and she could get herself out.

She jumped across a particularly large gap, flinging her weight from one building to the next, and was barely able to find purchase on the shingled rooftops before the man was hanging from the roof right next to her; both of them had almost missed its edge. The dark haired man kicked out at her, but before he could land another blow, she dropped from the rooftop and onto a lattice. She only lighted there a second, before she jumped off and hit the ground, rolling and using that momentum, she shoved through a crowd of startled guards. _Cazzo_! Could this morning get any worse?

The guards began shouting, drawing their weapons and giving chase, but Nika was more aware of the man that was still following her, running along the edges of the rooftops. She made sure to stay out of jumping range.

By this time, the adrenaline was pumping through Nika's veins, her loose black shirt was becoming soaked with sweat, her black breeches were covered in dust and her bare feet were absolutely filthy. At one point, her long, black hair had fallen out of its careless updue and began plastering itself to her sweat slicked skin. Her breath came in short, shallow, but controlled puffs; in through the nose, out through the mouth. She pumped her arms to gain momentum, but kept them close to her body for protection. Despite the danger of the situation, it felt good to be able to run like this. She felt the familiar burn in her legs, the muscles stretching then contracting in rapid momentum.

She dodged around startled citizens, underneath tree branches, leapt over merchant stands and stair railings, before she finally lost the guards and was able to take to the roofs again. The strange man was on a building across the street and Nika was able to scramble to the top of a building before the man found his way across, but once he did, he was hot on her heals again. This was no guard. He was something different, and that fact gave Nika a thrill. It turned into a sort of game to her, and she began making her movements random, feinting one direction, then loping off in another, knocking things over in the mans path. It didn't seem to deter him all that much, and when he wasn't cursing at the random obstacles, Nika could have sworn he was _laughing_. Not loud, long peals of laughter, but short little chuckles let out between intakes of air. He was _enjoying_ this chase, and that amused Nika more than anything. Yet, she was determined to get away with this man's coin.

Up ahead the building ended and no others were in sight. Nika willed her legs to move faster, and she threw herself off the buildings edge, diving at the last moment and piercing through the waters surface. The water was icy and murky, but it was pleasant to her over heated skin, and washed a great majority of the dirt and sweat from her body. Her hair tangled around her neck and arms, but she left it alone in favor of propelling herself through the water, moving her arms and legs as quickly and with as much force as she could.

She didn't break surface until her lungs screamed at her for want of air, and even when she came up to breathe, she continued to swim, ears straining for the sound of movement behind her. All was quiet, save for the sounds of her own swimming, and eventually she came to a sandy bank on the other side of the Tiber River.

She waded out of the water and onto the bank, glancing over her shoulder momentarily to reassure herself she hadn't been caught. There was no sign of the man. Still, Nika jogged down the road, finding a nice quiet hiding place before she finally allowed herself to rest. Her muscles burned and her breath came out in harsh pants. As the adrenaline began to wear off, she started quivering. The lack of adrenaline caused her body to register her wet clothes and the cool breeze blowing through the area. Her clothes clung to her and she shivered more, but that didn't wipe the shit-eating smile from her face. She held the mans fat purse in the palm of her had, bounced it a couple times, laughed, then stored it away in her clothes.

Once she untangled herself from her hair and caught her breath, Nika ventured out of her hiding spot, keeping a wary eye out for the man. Still no sign of him, so she set off for _La Volpe Addormentata_.

The Sleeping Fox was an old brick building in the southwestern corner of the _Antico_ District. It had two floors and a tower. The first floor held the pub, in which many different patrons came with heavy purses and left feeling significantly lighter. Gambling was big amongst those in the 'inn', and La Volpe's people always made sure that the Borgia's allies lost. It smelled of ale and sweat, significantly better than the pubs in the _Centro_ district, which more oft then not smelled of piss and vomit in addition to ale and sweat. The first floor also held the back room, in which most of the thieves meetings took place. The second floor housed rooms, some inhabited by thieves, and others left free for the patrons to uphold the 'inn' disguise.

When Nika stepped through the wooden door, she was met by a barrage of noise. Laughter, shouts, the clunk of mugs hitting wooden tables, and a few bards in the corner attempting to entertain but mostly being ignored. The room was warm, more from the masses of bodies than the fireplace. It was somewhat welcoming, and Nika was able to relax her muscles and abate the shivering to an extent. She made her way across the lounge, dancing away from groping hands that didn't care if she was male or female – a warm body was a warm body.

The dark haired woman padded up the stairs, and into a room near the back of headquarters. It was small, and mostly bare. A table stood next to a simple bed and a chest of drawers occupied a corner, next to a stand with a basin of water. There was barely enough room for the wooden tub. Nika didn't feel like bathing, so she used the mostly clean water to make herself presentable, stripping her dirtied clothes off and using a washcloth to wipe herself down. She pulled her hair back into a messy braid that looked like it would fall out any moment, and tied a black scarf around her head to keep the stray hair in place. Next came a breast band and a light blue shirt. It was patched in places, but none the worse for wear. She was just about to pull on a clean pair of black breeches when her door creaked open.

"Nika, I need to speak with you." La Volpe's voice was deep and quiet, adding to his mysterious nature. He wore his typical clothes in browns and muted yellows and oranges. His boots barely made any noise against the floorboards as he came forward, leaving the door open. Nika nodded, even as another man followed La Volpe into her room. He closed the door behind him. He was slightly shorter than La Volpe, and wore all black. The assassin's symbol was displayed around his waist, a dozen or so throwing knives tucked away in its sides. At his hip was an expensive looking scimitar, and a wicked looking dagger. His vambraces were made of a silver metal, and he had a gauntlet on one hand that no doubt helped him scale buildings. His face was shadowed by his hood, but Nika could make out a smirk on the scarred lips.

"What is it, La Volpe?" Nika inquired, pulling her breeches on without taking her eyes from the two men. La Volpe's equally shadowed face moved within the hood as his red-brown eyes flickered over to the other man.

"This is Ezio Auditore." He replied, gesturing to _l'assassino_, who bowed at Nika with a muttered "_Signora._"

"Ah, _il Salvatore de Italia_. It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance Ezio. I've heard much about you." Nika made an attempt to bow the upper half of her body, all while tying her breeches and keeping her eyes trained on her guests. She noticed La Volpe's mouth twitch in amusement, but he didn't say anything. Nika wasn't known for her manners.

"And I you, _bella donna_. La Volpe has told me many tales of his, ah, Troublesome Trio, as he calls you. You are quite the skilled young woman, _signora_." Ezio returned. La Volpe's Troublesome Trio referred to Lukah, Raffaello, and herself. Nika grunted, not fazed by Ezio's attempt at charming her. The two men chuckled.

"Nika is one of the few women who will resist any mans charm, _il mio amico_. That is part of what makes her such a good thief."

"A very good thief." Ezio agreed, but the way he said it had La Volpe and Nika looking at Ezio with suspicion. Nika studied him closely, trying to see past the shadows cast by the hood.

"I see that you have made good use of my coin, _Signora Lupa_." Ezio's voice was thick was amusement as he tilted his head to her small bed, on which lay a tiny bundle of children's clothes and toys, as well as a new dagger and a red dress – presents for Lukah and his _famiglia_.

"You!" Nika gasped, wide-eyed, knowing who the man was even before he lowered his hood. The same head of dark hair and striking brown eyes taunted her from across the room.

"I take it the two of you have already met." La Volpe said dryly, looking between two of the few people he could honestly say he trusted with his life.

"Just this morning, actually. I was speaking with some of the courtesans in _Centro _District when _Signora Lupa_ here cut the purse from my belt. Normally, I would have sensed somebody come up behind me, but she was stealth personified. You taught her well La Volpe. I chased her across _Centro_ District to the Tiber River. Some guards pursued her even, and she managed to evade all of us. She jumped in the Tiber and escaped." Ezio explained. Nika scoffed and crossed her arms.

"I hardly doubt I escaped _l'assassino grande maestro d'Italia_. You let me escape." She glared at the man, angered further when he only smirked, confirming what she had said. La Volpe sighed.

"Well, this makes this next part of the conversation both easier and harder. Nika, you know you are one of my most valued subordinates, _si_?"

"Of course, La Volpe. I'd do anything you asked of me."

"Such loyalty. It's commendable." Ezio murmured quietly, so as not to seem like he was interrupting La Volpe.

"Precisely, _mio vecchio amica_. However, over the years, I have become rather attached to you, and after the death of Emilio, I fear our enemies may use you to get to me. Without my assistance, the Order of Assassin's will be hard pressed. Therefore, we cannot allow this to happen." La Volpe kept eye contact as he said this, and Nika felt her stomach plummet. La Volpe wasn't the sentimental type, and this was starting to head in a direction Nika wasn't sure she wanted it to go.

"What are you saying, La Volpe?" Nika intoned.

"Under La Volpe, you have served my purposes well, _Signora Lupa_. You have bribed heralds; intercepted documents; infiltrated the homes of many, including the most important nobles, and spied on them. You have aided me greatly in my cause, _Signora Lupa_, and for that, I thank you." Ezio bowed his head a bit in thanks, but Nika wished he'd stop calling her Lady Wolf. The only person with the name of an animal should be La Volpe, and only La Volpe. The man had given her the name Nika for a reason.

"Nika, after much discussion, Ezio, Machiavelli and I have decided that it would be best for you to train among the other assassin recruits. Ezio only has four of them at the moment, and could use your skill. You can teach the recruits everything you know, and in turn they can help you catch up on your training as an assassin. It will all be in an attempt to create better assassins." La Volpe explained.

"Not only that, but you will be out from underneath La Volpe's name, and the both of you will be protected. He will no longer have to worry about you falling into enemy hands, in which case he might end up having to leave you to die. Besides, you will serve me better now under my direct orders, rather than through La Volpe." Ezio continued. Nika couldn't believe her ears. La Volpe didn't want her under his paw anymore. He wanted her to crawl underneath Ezio's wing like some wounded pup! She had tried so hard to repay her debt, but it just hadn't been enough.

"No, La Volpe! _Per favore_, I'll do anything! I'll work harder, I'll be more careful, I'll stop tormenting the young ones! Don't make me leave!" Her heart rate picked up and she approached La Volpe, the man who had been more like a father to her than her own father had ever been.

"_Calmare_, Nika. I'm not sending you away as punishment. This is for the best, for the both of us, for the Order, for the Guild. Ezio can only benefit with you training to become an assassin. It is for the good of Italia." He explained, untangling her hands from where they had tangled in the sleeve of his tunic without her realizing it. He squeezed them briefly before letting them drop. Nobody said anything for the longest time. Noise drifted up from downstairs, sounding too cheery for the events of the upstairs inhabitants.

"I must return to my task, La Volpe, but Machiavelli will be awaiting her arrival at the _Isola Tiberina_ Hideout. He has one of the _Veterani_ waiting there to begin her training. Whenever the two of you are ready." With that, he bowed his head and left her room. As soon as the door closed, La Volpe addressed her.

"Give your gifts to Lukah and his _famiglia_, but be quick about it. I want you settled at the _Isola Tiberina_ Hideout before nightfall. Is that clear, Nika?" His eyes were piercing, and held to room for nonsense. This was a time to be serious. La Volpe had already made his decision, and there would be no changing it. All she had to do was pretend it was as any other task he had sent her on. Nika grit her teeth, her jaw muscle jumping, as she nodded her head. La Volpe said nothing else and departed, without so much as looking back at Nika. The forty-some-odd year old man could be harsh at times, but Nika had grown accustomed to that.

She remembered the time, when she was but a foolish sixteen-year-old girl, she had fancied her mentor. He had been unlike any other men she had met. La Volpe had crossed Nika's path quite often. She still lived with her father at the time, the man was one of The Fox's contacts. She remembered the first time she saw him. La Volpe had only been in his mid-thirties then, and Nika had just turned sixteen. Her father had been rather cross with her the past year or so, after her mother died, because any fitting suitor he found for her became appalled at the sight of Nika's manners. The young girl did not want to marry some perfumed old geezer or perverted merchant. She didn't want to be tied down and act the part of obedient housewife.

La Volpe wasn't like any of the other men her father usually socialized with. He was the sort of man who talked in circles without anybody realizing it until it was too late. He never lied, only told half-truths and twisted his words to fit his needs. Nika remembered when she first saw him sitting in her father's small study. His clothes were in his usual muted earth tones, and his eyes were veiled by his hood. He stood, refusing her fathers offer to take a seat, and always kept his back to a wall. In the dim lighting provided by the fireplace, his red-brown eyes almost seemed purple.

When she walked in the room, his eyes flicked over to her, assessing her every move, even as her father yelled up a storm, complaining about foolish women and their incessant need to intrude upon a mans privacy. He hit her too, and although La Volpe did nothing about it, Nika had noticed his disapproving frown as she was shoved past him and out of the room. When he left, all Nika could think about was the strange man with the odd colored eyes.

She didn't see him again for many weeks, and by then Nika had run away from her home. She had been engaged to a nobleman well into his fifties, with no manners and quite the reputation. He liked young flesh. Nika hadn't wanted anything to do with the man, and when her father refused to listen to her complaints, she had run away. Three months she spent on the streets, fending for herself. She learned by trial and error. What streets were owned by whom, the best places to scavenge for food. She even learned how to use her age and gender to her benefit, leaching food from unsuspecting gentlemen and running before they could ask her for something in return.

It worked, up until she tried stealing food from the wrong merchant. He caught her – she was tired and sore from defending herself a few days prior and shaky from hunger – and dragged her into an alley around the corner. He had her way with her, and Nika could still remember the acrid smell of his breath and the sweat on his skin, the leathery touch of his hands against her body. He punched her any time she tried calling out for help. When it was over with, the man dropped her to the dirty floor, clothes ripped and dress pulled up obscenely around her thighs – she wore the same clothes she had when she left. The man was bent over her, hissing something in her ear and brandishing a knife. All Nika could think at the time was that she was glad it would finally all be over. She wouldn't have to fight anymore.

However, just as he was about to plunge the knife into her chest, the shadows moved and attacked the man. Nika was too far gone to remember much, just pieces here and there of purple eyes and the screams of the merchant.

Then came the warm, comforting hands. They smoothed out her dress and wrapped something around her for decencies sake, before they lifted her up in strong arms and a warm chest. He smelled of the outdoors, like rain and earth and trees, and perhaps a bit of spice underneath it all.

She had awoken sometime later, dressed in breeches and a shirt much too big for her. She had been embarrassed to find that the man had obviously changed her himself, but she shoved it away. When the man came into the room, carrying a tray with some soup and water, she devoured it all, nearly choking on it and only slowing when La Volpe chastised her.

He trained her, took her under his paw and taught her the ways of the streets, the ways of the thieves. He never laid a hand on her, violently or sexually. Never touched her unless it was to correct her stance. His punishments lay in doing chores or extra hours training. He never called her by her given name; instead, he sought her out with his gaze until he had her attention, then he spoke. For a year, her life continued like this, and her admiration for the man grew stronger.

Nika had always thought her love for the man had been obvious but La Volpe never caught on, until one night, Teodora showed up at the rundown Thief Guild, asking for assistance. The whole while she observed the way Nika had acted around La Volpe, and when the girl left to fetch more wine, Teodora mentioned the way Nika felt about La Volpe, and asked the man what he would do about it. Nika eavesdropped shamelessly, waiting with baited breath for his answer. Her heart nearly broke when he told Teodora he had no time to court a foolish young girl. She ran.

She ran until her legs couldn't carry her anymore and the pieces of her heart throbbed. She was gone for weeks, but La Volpe never sought her out. Looking back on it, Nika was glad that he hadn't. She didn't know what she would have done if he had. At the end of those weeks, Nika found herself on her father's doorstep. She couldn't bring herself to knock. Instead, she picked the lock and snuck in the house.

It was late; her father would already be asleep. She was standing at the foot of the stairs when she heard it. The creek of floorboards and a dull thud that had her pausing, holding her breath and straining to hear even the smallest of noises. A muffled scream broke her stillness, and she was taking the stairs two at a time until she came upon her father's room. The door was wide open and a hooded figure was fleeing out the window. She looked to her father in shock, at the horror-stricken expression frozen on his face, the glazed over eyes and the blood stained sheets twisted about him. After that, she didn't think, she only acted.

She was out the window and on the roofs in seconds, chasing after the fleeing man who had murdered her father. Sure, the man hadn't been the most pleasant person, but that was besides the point. She got him three rooftops over, tackling him to the ground and slamming his head against the shingles. He twisted out of her grip, slashed at her with his knife, and caught her across her stomach. As she hesitated, the pain momentarily stunning her, the man took his chance to flee again, but found his way blocked. Nika would know those odd colored eyes anywhere.

Where in the past, her heart would have flipped and her stomach squirmed to see him, both were still. It only took seconds before her fathers murderer was laying in his own puddle of blood on the top of some unsuspecting stranger's house. He thanked her, La Volpe did, for tracking the man down. Apparently, he had been a thorn in the Guilds side for months, but was always evasive. La Volpe looted the mans pockets, taking his coin and an envelope from the corpse. The coin he gave to Nika, for a job well done. The envelope he pocketed, and without another word, he set off towards the Guild. Nika didn't hesitate, and followed the man who had saved her life once again.

Nika wasn't sure if it had been in the weeks of her absence, or because of what she had seen La Volpe do, but her affections towards him changed. No longer was he a potential candidate for a lover, but a mentor, a friend, a father, and a brother. Once he had seen the potential Nika had shown, he had sent her on many tasks, and by the time she was eighteen, he had given her the name 'Nika'.

Now, at twenty-two, Nika was forced to leave the only place she had truly felt safe in. Forced to leave La Volpe's side and change her loyalties. She knew that if Ezio asked her to betray the Guild, La Volpe would want her to do it. That if Ezio asked her to do something that put the Guild and its members in danger, La Volpe would be furious with her if she disobeyed. Ezio was her new master now, and she had to do what he told her to do.

With that in mind, she packed her few possessions into a bag, then left it near the door. She gathered the gifts for Lukah's _famiglia_, and set off down the hall, picking the locked door and setting them down inside. If she had to leave, she didn't want to have to say goodbye. After all, she might cross their paths sometime in the future.

Nika went back to her room and grabbed her bag. Downstairs was just as rowdy as it had been when she arrived, only a few minutes ago. She caught La Volpe's gaze as she passed through the lounge; her mentor was watching her progress from a corner of the room he usually inhabited, the shadows nearly devouring him whole. Nika didn't approach him. Instead, she left through the front door, leaving her past behind, and approaching a new future.


	2. Chapter 2

Nika picked at her new clothes. Ezio had plenty of money to spare and wasted no time in buying her the robes required of an assassin recruit to wear. Ezio kept his robes white, but had the assassin recruits' robes dyed black. That was the only thing Nika liked about the robes. In her opinion, they were overdoing it a bit. And she had to wear boots. The dark-haired woman preferred to go barefoot. Used to wearing simple breeches and a shirt, The robes she wore were donned over the top of soft breeches, a shirt, and a tunic. As a Novice training under a _Veterano_, Nika was only allowed a hidden blade, but only on special occasions. She already knew how to fist fight, and she told Ezio this. However, the man would not listen. He said, any time Nika brought it to his attention that she could fight better than his one_ Mercenario_, that she had to train and advance through the ranks just like any other recruit and that just because she was La Volpe's pupil, she would not get any special treatment. That was Ezio-speak for 'she is to be given a more difficult time than any of the other recruits.'

The four recruits, aside from herself, were Vincenzo the _Maestro_, Domenico the_ Veterano_, Elletra the _Veterano_, and Melchiorre the _Mercenario_. Now she was Nika the _Novice_. She hated it. She scowled as she watched a guard speak with a merchant, only catching bits and pieces of what he was saying. That part wasn't important. What was important was the note the merchant passed to the guard. She should be happy with this mission. Ezio had been away for nearly a week, leaving _Signor_ Machiavelli in charge of the Hideout. She had been complaining to Machiavelli, much like she did to Ezio, and the older man had finally grown tired of it. He allowed her to take on a mission, by herself, in which she was supposed to apprehend a note from a guard. It wasn't much of an improvement, but it was better than the 'hide-and-gather-information' missions Ezio had been giving her. This she could do. This is what La Volpe had taught her to do.

She slipped out from behind the tree she had been leaning against, and merged with the crowd. She had forgone the _assurdo_ robes in favor of her more practical clothing; black breeches, breast band, and off white shirt. Even her bare feet weren't too odd of a sight, since some people couldn't afford the luxury of shoes, though she did get the occasional odd glance. She ignored them though, and continued to tail the guard. A prickling feeling on the back of her neck caused her to pause and step to the side, pretending to fix the scarf tide around her messily braided hair as she observed her surroundings. She didn't see anybody out of the ordinary, nobody seemed to be paying her any abnormal amount of attention, so she shrugged the feeling off and continued to follow the guard.

Just as La Volpe taught her to do, she passed the guard, timing it just right – a pair of middle-aged lovers passed just before her – she deftly relieved the guard of his note, tucking it into the band of her breaches discreetly. After that, she continued at a regular pace, then turned the next corner, making sure she was out of the guards sight, before she took off running. She weaved in and out of the crowds of people, who passed her off as a foolish _bambina_, and made her way back to the hideout.

She slipped into the building with no trouble, but as she descended the stairs, she saw familiar white robes. Ezio had returned. He stood next to Machiavelli, discussing something quietly with him. Looking around briefly, she noted that her current teacher, Domenico, was not currently present. She frowned. Since she had joined the Assassin Order, Ezio only ever sent Domenico on missions with her. The mild-tempered man never complained, even though Nika knew taking on such easy missions had to be a bore to him. As Nika stepped off the last stair, Machiavelli, having been facing her already, shot her a welcoming smile over Ezio's shoulder. The younger man turned, his robes swirling about his legs.

"Novice, come. Tell me how your mission went. Ezio, I grew tired of her complaining and had her collect a note for us. It may be of no importance, but I felt it better to be safe than sorry." He gestured for Nika to step forward, the both of them ignoring Ezio's disapproving frown, not only at the fact that Machiavelli had sent her on a mission meant for a _Servitore_ but because she was not wearing any boots either. She had been under Ezio's so called wing for nearly a month now. He did not directly teach her, leaving it up to Domenico instead, so she did not feel the need to obey his every whim like some lap dog. She handed the note over to Machiavelli, ignoring Ezio's outstretched hand. She noticed Ezio's jaw muscles working but he didn't say anything about her impudence. Instead, he read the note over Machiavelli's shoulder.

"Ah well, it was worth the risk." Machiavelli said after a moment, tossing the apparently useless letter onto the desk atop other papers of varying import. Taking that as her dismissal, Nika made to leave for the room with all the paintings, but Ezio halted her.

"Nika, _aspetta un attimo, per favore_. I wish to speak with you." Ezio gestured for her to come near the desk, as he leaned against it, crossing his arms casually. His hood was down for once, and Nika met his dark brown eyes with her own. They stared each other down a moment, challengingly, until Nika was forced to look away. She crossed her own arms out of discomfort.

"Even though Machiavelli sent you on a mission meant for a _Servitore_ without my permission, you completed the task in a fitting amount of time and with success. I believe you are ready to be called a _Servitore_ and take on a couple of missions that are a bit more…_impegnativo_." He paused, and Nika got the impression he was waiting for some reaction – excitement at finally being promoted perhaps, or gratitude – but Ezio had been denying her a rank fitting of her skill since she had arrived, and she wasn't about to show him gratitude for something she felt she deserved. Ezio bowed his head a bit and sighed.

"_Mule à tête de une femme_." Ezio muttered in French. Nika didn't speak French, but she was pretty sure it wasn't anything nice. She stood there, waiting to see if he had anything else to say to her. Apparently he did.

"La Volpe taught you how to steal, _si_?"

"You already know this, _padrone_." She said the last bit sarcastically and watched in vague amusement as Ezio's eye twitched.

"I'm trying to give you a compliment, _puttana_, but you are making it _molto difficile_. La Volpe told me you are good at obeying orders, that you act without question. He says that you would make a _magnifico assassina_. However, you will not become one because you are the opposite of what La Volpe told me you were." Ezio looked at Nika searchingly, but she remained impassive. Machiavelli, who had been silent until this point, commented,

"I believe there in lays your problem, _il mio amico_. La Volpe said she was loyal, but I am betting he meant she was loyal to La Volpe. Not anybody else. She has been with La Volpe since she was a child. She acknowledges no other master."

"I do not want to be her new master!" Ezio pushed off the edge of the desk as he flung his hands in the air. He began speaking as if she wasn't present. "I merely ask that she obey my orders. I am the Master Assassin! I am the one training her to become part of the Order, and she does not even show me a modicum of respect!"

"Respect is earned, Ezio, not given freely. And last I checked, it was Domenico that was training me, not you." Nika replied dryly. _L'assassino_ spun on his heal and strode forward to tower over her.

"Exactly, _Servitore_. Respect is earned. You want me to respect you, then you have to show me you are worthy of it. Until then, you will remain a _Servitore_." He hissed. Anger blossomed inside Nika.

"Why not just keep me as a Novice?" She spat. Machiavelli watched the two argue with growing amusement.

"Because, _bambina_, I do not go back on my word!" Ezio said harshly, before flying out of the room like a bat out of hell. Nika stood there, fuming, as Domenico stepped through the door, a fresh supply of parchment and ink in hand. The brunette kept his blue eyes on his charge, only seven years younger than himself, as he handed the requested supplies over to Machiavelli.

"I think it is about time you take your _Servitore_ out to train some more. _Capisci_?" Machiavelli nodded his chin in Nika's direction, watching as momentary surprise flitted over Domenico's face.

"_Servitore_? _Veramente_?" He 'hmf'ed in a sort of astonished acceptance and turned to a nearby stand that kept extra weapons at hand. He had already taught Nika how to use the hidden blade. Now it was time for her to learn how to use the longsword. He tested each of the ones available, making sure not to grab one that would be too light or too heavy. The brunette wanted Nika to build up some muscle while she learned, but not injure herself in the attempt. Finding one that was suitable, he caught his charge's attention and led her into the hall that was usually used for initiation. Most of the weapon training happened in there, if not at Bartolomeo's.

Domenico was particularly attentative this day, seeing as much as sensing Nika's frustration. They trained well into the evening, stopping periodically for rest. As the day wore on, the others came back from their mission and stood around to watch Domenico and Nika battle it out. Domenico, at first, had not wanted to take on Nika's training, but when he found out how devoted she was to learning these particular fighting styles, he found he did not mind in the least. Nika was a fast learner and was quite taken to the fighting arts.

At one point, Elletra joined in the fun. At thirty-six, she was the oldest of the recruits. She kept her dark-blonde hair cut short and was a petite woman, but she was quick. Domenico didn't mind too much. He used strength more oft than not, and Nika had started to become used to finding ways to make up for the difference in body structure.

When Elletra joined in on the training, it gave something else for Nika to think about. Not only did she have to watch for Domenico's arm-numbing blows, she had to keep a sharp eye on Elletra, who had practically turned her fighting style into a sort of dance. She was like a Viper, quick and efficient. But, put up against Vincenzo, she'd have no chance. Vincenzo was not only agile, he was flexible too. He threw in a combination of flips with his fighting that he had learned from a friend as a child, and favored hand-to-hand combat over weapon play. He was the only one that was a match for Elletra so far, other than Ezio, and Ezio sent the two of them on his most complex missions. Melchiorre was just like any other intermediate fighter. He had his good days and his bad days. Nika swears she could best the young Venician in a fight, but Domenico often wondered if she meant a fair fight or not. He believed the two were as equally matched in skill as they were in age.

He _did_ notice, however, that Nika seemed to have a severe problem with her personality, no doubt La Volpe's doing. The young woman seemed to think she could handle anything, that she only needed herself to succeed and that she was above everybody else. It was the one thing Domenico did not like about his young charge, and something he tried to fix every day. The girl needed to be taught some humility.

With this particular thought in mind, Domenico handed the end of the days training over to Elletra and went in search of Ezio. He found him sitting atop the Assassin Tower. The evening was cool, if a bit cloudy. It would probably rain during the night. Ezio was sitting atop a bird perch, looking much like the eagle many called him. He watched over the city with a keen eye, but was not too deep in thought. He heard Domenico approach and acknowledged him.

"_Signore_ Ezio. If I may, I think it might be a good idea to send _Signora_ Nika on a mission befitting a _Mercenario _or a _Guerriero_."

"Not you too." Ezio muttered, standing up to face his recruit.

"_Per favore_, _ascoltami_." Domenico begged, pressing his hands together and shaking them a bit. Ezio waved his hand, gesturing for him to continue.

"She thinks that she is as good as, if not better than, Melchiorre. Send her on a mission with him. Somewhere away from Roma. Away from you, La Volpe and I. Let her do a mission on her own. It can only benefit us. If she succeeds, she has proven that she is ready for such a position. If she fails it will teach her that she is not as good as she thinks she is. It'll make her second guess herself. She will try harder, and you will have proven that you were correct in thinking her not ready for such a position." Domenico fell silent, allowing the Master Assassin to think it through. This went on for several seconds, before Ezio found himself nodding.

"_Si_. _Si, si, si, si_. I understand what you mean, Domenico, and I will take this into consideration. It is worth a try. Melchiorre is responsible and will ensure nothing too dreadful happens. _Grazie._" Ezio nodded once more, before turning back to look out at the city. Domenico stood there a moment, considering his next words carefully, before he spoke.

"Ezio, pardon me if I speak to boldly, but I believe you and Nika have more in common than you believe. She lost her father around the same age as you lost yours. And although you still have your mother and your sister, Nika has lost her mother too, which had to have been just as painful to her as the loss of your brothers were to you. Now, she has La Volpe as a father, and he has taught her to only ever rely on herself, which is not too bad a quality. Yet, La Volpe himself comes from a dark past, if any of the rumors hold a modicum of truth."

"Where are you going with this, Domenico?" Ezio pinched the bridge of is nose. He did not like being compared to the little urchin, but he saw some sense in what Domenico had said thus far.

"Merely that perhaps if you shared a bit of yourself with Nika, it will help her. She will learn that she can trust us, or at least you, as she does La Volpe. Frankly, _signore_, we are gaining nothing with you acting like a spoilt nobleman's son. She was raised to despise such people, as are any commoner and peasant." Another silence followed Domenico's statement, and the brunette thought he had gone too far. However, when Ezio simply thanked him, he took his leave quickly, not wanting to risk further offending the assassin.

Nika was sitting at the table when he returned, leaning back in her chair and isolating herself from the others as usual. Domenico made his way over to her, and they sat in companionable silence for nearly a half hour. Finally, Nika spoke.

"What were you discussing with _l'assassino_?" she inquired, not taking her gaze off the others.

"Upcoming missions." Was Domenico's reply. Nika knew when somebody was only telling half a truth, but decided not to comment on it. If the man wanted her to know more, he would have told her. That was just how Domenico was.

"Nika?" Domenico tested.

"Hm?"

"I think you should give Ezio a chance. He is not such a bad person. La Volpe trusts him with his life, you know." Domenico pointed out. Nika tensed, the chair falling to all fours with a loud _crack_ of wood against wood. Vincenzo glanced over briefly, but continued his conversation with Melchiorre quickly enough.

"I know, Domenico, and I don't know why. Why should anyone trust an assassin?"

"Why should anyone trust a thief?" Domenico retorted, a smile quirking the corners of his lips. Nika only kept a straight face for so long, and soon enough the two were both sharing a laugh.

"Okay, okay. I get your point." Nika conceded but said nothing about giving Ezio a chance. She would just run with things for now, and see how they turn out. Truth was, she missed her home, back at the Guild with La Volpe and Lukah. She had not seen either of them in a month, and both Ezio and Machiavelli had forbidden her from visiting. It was too dangerous now. Borgia spies were crawling all over the Guild, looking for the opportune moment to strike. La Volpe was not the type to give anybody opportunities, Nika knew, so she stayed as far away as she could. She hated it, but she had no choice. La Volpe would come to her when he was able. She simply had to wait.

"How did the rest of your training go with Elletra?" Domenico inquired, propping his booted feet up on the table between them, careful to avoid messing up the map that was laid out there. Nika shrugged.

"I was a bit sore from training with you all day, but it was nothing new. Elletra may be fast, but once I spar with her a few minutes, take a couple bruising blows, I can read her motives. It is all different from training with La Volpe. With him, it was all about doing the unexpected, exploiting the opponent's weaknesses and striking fast and hard, whether the fight be fair or not. It was all about survival. Although the training you and Elletra put me through is not so different in motivation, it is different in tactic."

"That is good for you. It teaches you how to battle against multiple opponents. If I had my way, I'd have you against Elletra, Vincenzo and I, but Vincenzo refuses to participate."

"I don't think Vincenzo cares about me all that much." Nika commented, casting a wary glance in said mans direction. He had fallen silent and was listening to something that Melchiorre was saying, the _mercenario_ gesturing about animatedly with his hands. Vincenzo just stood there, arms crossed, leaning against the wall with one leg propped up on the rough stone behind him. Occasionally his eyes would flit about, but they would refocus on Melchiorre almost immediately.

"Vincenzo…is just a quiet man. He is only a year or two younger than Elletra. He seems to get along well with Melchoirre. I think the lad reminds him of someone from his old life. He's the only one Vincenzo has ever said more than a few words to. I do not think he dislikes you, Nika. I just think he does not have anything to say to you."

"Have you been with the recruits for long?" Nika momentarily sat her chair back on all fours, before she began tipping it again.

"I got recruited just over a year ago, and Melchiorre not long after. Vincenzo was the first to be recruited, just over two years ago, and Elletra was recruited about three months before myself."

"Why does Ezio not recruit more of us? Surely there are plenty of people within Roma willing to bring down the Borgias and the Templars?" Nika hooked her foot on a beam stretching the length of the bottom of the table, enabling her to keep the chair balanced on its back legs. Domenico shrugged and said,

"Ezio is similar to La Volpe in a sense. He does not always do what is expected of him. If he did, he would have been captured and killed long ago." Domenico supplied. Nika didn't ask anything else about it. To her, it made sense. Of course, they would have an advantage with more assassins, but if it was expected of their Order to have more, then they would have a sort of twisted surprise in store for their enemies when said enemies found there were only four assassin recruits working under Ezio.

It also, in a way, gave the four recruits an advantage, because they were able to concentrate more on their own training, rather than the training of others. Well, until she came along. Now Domenico was stuck with her until she proved herself able. Willing and able at that. Ezio, although putting some trust in her because of La Volpe's commendation, was not willing to gamble his life and the life of his allies by putting all his trust in her. A smart move on his part, Nika thought. Nika was not sure she would be able to live up to La Volpe's expectations of her.

"How about we go out for a drink. The places around here are not up to par, if compared to _La Volpe Addormentata_, but they serve their purposes. We can even go in civilian garb, if you prefer." Domenico extracted her from her brooding thoughts with his offer. Of course she preferred to do normal, social things dressed as a civilian. Besides, she already had on her customary black breeches and a black shirt. She didn't feel like changing into any robes.

So, as she waited for Domenico, who had disappeared into his room – all recruits rooms were kept in the tower, along with Ezio's – in order to dress down, she grabbed a pair of boots and pulled them on, then retied the scarf that held back her loose hair. She never did bother to braid her hair properly. It was always loose and coming out, only the length of it keeping it in some semblance of a braid for the most of a day. When her teacher reappeared, in plain brown breeches, soft-soled boots, and a white shirt, they headed out of the Hideout side by side. Nika ignored Vincenzo's disapproving gaze as the two left.

The Sleepy Cat Tavern was one of the better pubs in town, but still did not equate to The Sleeping Fox, even if the names were similar. It was rather run down, and smelled of piss, vomit, ale and sweat among other things. Courtesans – ones that did not work for Claudia – hung off of men and danced on or around the tables in varying states of undress. But, they weren't only women. Nika spotted a man, not much younger than she was, up on a table in only a pair of low slung breeches. He was easy on the eyes, in comparison to the females, but compared to La Volpe, Domenico, or Ezio, he was rather plain. His skin was a dark olive, and his hair had probably been a dark brown at one point, but was a bit sun bleached and lighter near the ends then at the roots. His eyes were a startling shade of green though. His body was toned enough to be pleasing, though many of the men working with La Volpe, as well as Domenico, Vincenzo, and Melchoirre were more chiseled and their muscles more pronounced.

Her teacher caught her looking at the man and shot her a grin, waggling his eyebrows as he did so. She shoved him playfully, a grin of her own in place, and Domenico laughed. The tavern was noisy, filled with raucous laughter and altogether good cheer, most likely induced by the vast amounts of drink they consumed. The two companions avoided the worst of the mess on the floor, Nika suddenly grateful she had donned a pair of boots for this particular outing. There were times when stepping in something fowl was not possible to avoid.

She found them a table near the back of the tavern, as Domenico went off to the counter to order them some drinks. He returned with two pints of something fowl smelling, but halfway into the second tonic, she found herself caring less about the taste. They were alone for their first two rounds, but afterwards, Domenico had managed to gather a couple of the men at their table for a game of Chance. Nika paid attention to the first few rounds, but did not participate. She did not want to cause any trouble by winning too many games. She found men did not take kindly to defeat by a woman.

Yet, after a while, she became aware of eyes on her. She forced her body to stay relaxed, and at a break between games, she shifted about to get comfortable, all the while looking around the room to see who was watching them. Green eyes met hers and a small smile played on sensual lips. She arched an eyebrow at the man and he tilted his head the slightest bit towards a set of stairs that no doubt led to rooms on the second level. Nika's eyes flitted to a woman who looked to be in her forties who was attempting to drape herself over the young man. She was obviously lost, swimming somewhere in the bottom of her drink.

She gave the green-eyed man a once over, before turning her back to the table she sat at, only a bit surprised when she found Domenico's gaze trained on her. He had an amused look on his face and he jerked his chin in Green Eyes' direction. The message was clear, but still Nika hesitated. She did not know this man, could not trust him. She did not feel entirely comfortable being in a room, naked and at the mans whim, even if she could overpower him in a fight. Seeing his pupil hesitate, Domenico grabbed his mug and stood, excusing himself from the game momentarily. As he passed, on his way to the counter for more drink, he leaned in and whispered,

"Go, have some fun, _bella donna_. You need to relax once in a while, eh? I promise, he will not bite…unless you ask of course."

"I just do not feel comfortable-"

"Nika go." Domenico pushed. Nika frowned a bit at that, but passed it off as the drinks influence. She could still see a playfulness in her teachers blue eyes, but there was something else there too, so she nodded slowly and decided to go along with it, for now. She scanned the room again, briefly, and quickly found Green Eyes. He was still looking at her, but had wandered closer to the stairs, as if he knew she would seek him out. When their eyes met, and she made to stand up, Green Eyes headed up the stairs. Nika followed, dancing away from groping hands. Some things never changed, no matter the type of pub you were in. As she reached the top of the stairs, she caught sight of Green Eyes turning a corner in the hall.

Once she rounded the corner, Green Eyes wasn't in sight but one of the doors stood open a crack and she pushed it open. Green Eyes sat on the bed, smiling invitingly, but as the door closed behind her the smile slipped slightly. Nika stopped halfway to the bed and tensed. Green Eyes' posture was as inviting as it had been earlier, but it was his eyes that gave it away. They flitted briefly to look behind her and Nika's hand flew to the dagger at her belt, concealed beneath her shirt.

She barely got to graze her fingers against it however when she had the air knocked out of her. Her attacker threw her to the floor and pinned her down moments later, disarming her and throwing her dagger across the room. It skidded along the wooden floor before coming to a stop near the washstand. Nika struggled, kicking her feet, tossing her weight from side to side and even struggling to push her weight that that of the attackers up off the floor, but all was in vein. Her already tired muscles – worn from a full day of training – screamed in protest at the exertion.

Nika was not one to give in, though, and instead let her body fall limp in a pretense of giving in. Her attacker chuckled behind her, still pinning her arms behind her back in a painful manner.

"Good try, _tesora_." The familiar voice rumbled above her. Nika froze and her eyes widened, before she was struggling again, ignoring her protesting limbs. Her struggling was born out of excitement this time around, rather than in an attempt to protect herself. She was released and hauled up by the back of her shirt. Once she regained her balance, she spun around to face the man, Green Eyes being long forgotten and neither took much notice as he slipped from the room.

"_Ti sono mancato_?" La Volpe's grin was a bit scary looking with the shadows of his hood and the candle light playing across his face, but Nika threw herself into his arms anyway, used to such illusions. La Volpe caught all of her weight, without so much as budging, as he wrapped his arms around her in a rare display of affection.

"Do you even need to ask that?" she muttered into his shoulder, the cloth of his tunic and cape muffling her words some, but La Volpe still got the meaning. He sighed some and squeezed his adoptive daughter before he grabbed her shoulders and held her at arms length.

"How have you been? Are Ezio and the others treating you kindly?" In his eyes was a sort of serious concern that Nika had never seen La Volpe express before. Part of her cherished it, but another part of her shied away from the unusualness of such an emotion from the Master Thief.

"Everything is as good as can be expected. Ezio still limits me to Novice assignments, even though I believe I can best Melchiorre, a _mercenario_, in a combat. He has _veterano_ Domenico teaching me swordplay and the ways of the assassin. _Veterano_ Elletra helps sometimes, her fighting style is different then Domenico. He's here with me an the tavern, downstairs playing a game of Chance."

"And you did not join in on the game?" Amusement danced in La Volpe's eyes, but after they shared a brief laugh, he let her continue.

"There is another recruit, _maestro_ Vincenzo, but he does not speak with me. Sometimes he watches, but it is as if he is waiting for me to slip up. He…makes me uneasy. Machiavelli allowed me to go on an assignment today that was higher than others I've been on. I was to intercept a note from a guard, but the note turned out to be useless, according to Machiavelli and Ezio. Ezio was not pleased at first, but then he promoted me to _servitore_. So, I suppose I've made some sort of improvement."

"You do not like Ezio?" La Volpe inquired. Nika considered her words carefully before she spoke.

"As an assassin, he is unmatched. That I cannot argue with. But as a man…he does not listen to me as you do. To him, I am just some _bambina_ he has recruited. It is as if it is a burden on him to have me around. I want to return with you to the guild. I _know_ I cannot." The last part was added when La Volpe opened his mouth to remind her of the dangers, but it closed quickly enough when she amended that she knew it was not possible.

"La Volpe, who is after you that makes it so dangerous for me to be around you and the Guild?" She questioned. La Volpe's hands dropped from her shoulders and he shrugged dismissively.

"The Borgia, the Templars, the Guard. I have more enemies than I have friends, _tesora_." La Volpe was good at hiding things from people. Obviously, La Volpe was not lying. The Borgia and Templar's _were_ after her adoptive father, but she could sense that there was more La Volpe was not telling her. She did not know if it was to protect her, or because he no longer trusted her. She decided to believe it was the former, because the latter was too hard for her to grasp. She decided to switch to less grim topics.

"Who was the man with the green eyes? The one who led me up here." Nika inquired.

"Someone you can trust. He can usually be found here in the Sleepy Cat Tavern. He is one of Emilio's sons, from when he lived in Ireland before coming here to Roma. His mother was a courtesan. She died when he was eight, and Emilio brought him back here to Roma. He is not officially a part of the Guild though, just an informant." La Volpe informed Nika. Nika nodded and La Volpe glanced around the room, looking first to the window, then to the door, before bringing his eyes back to the young woman.

"I must go now, Nika. I will talk to Ezio about raising you in the ranks but I cannot promise anything. Be safe, and watch your back." With that, La Volpe molded himself into the shadows and disappeared. After a moment, Green Eyes reentered the room, smile falling back in place once he was assured that La Volpe no longer occupied the room.

"Now, how about I help you forget some of your problems for the night?" He sauntered her way, and Nika dismissed any thoughts she had about the Order, the Guild and their enemies. Domenico was right. She needed to relax, but she would not let her guard down completely. Not after La Volpe's parting words. _Watch your back._

She smiled back at Emilio's son and allowed him to lead her to the bed, where he proceeded to do exactly as he said he would.


	3. Chapter 3

A week passed with no noticeable change. Even though she was promoted to _servitor_e, she found that her missions were not at all that much more difficult. Domenico trained her as he did every day, and Elletra would join in as she sometimes did. Nika's mind wandered now more than ever though. After La Volpe's visit, she could not stop wondering at what had La Volpe so tense. Ezio and Machiavelli acted no different, so she figured it was not anything too dire, but she still worried for her family at the Guild. Her desire to return had not abated, but she dare not even visit the Inn lest she cause more problems for La Volpe than she solved.

A stinging sensation shooting through her arm called her back to the present just in time to parry a second blow to her right side and saving her arm from further injury. She glanced down to see a small red patch well up to through the white cloth of her shirtsleeve and her mouth twitched down in a frown. She was not in the mood for sparring, but Domenico had insisted. With a sigh, she dropped her stance and let her sword point at the ground, but did not let it touch. Domenico stopped his blade inches from her throat and she resisted the urge to flinch as the momentum of his swing caused the blade to sing. They stood there, Domenico challengingly and Nika once more lost in thought, ignoring her teachers challenge.

The ebony haired woman still did not understand why La Volpe did not at least tell her about what was going on. Sure, she wanted to help him, but if he refused her help, there would be nothing she could do. However, if he explained the situation, told her exactly why he had sent her away, why she was living with a bunch of assassins, training with them, then perhaps she would not be so distracted and she could concentrate on her training. Perhaps she would not feel as if something bad was about to happen, and there was nothing she could do about it. Nika did not like feeling helpless. It brought back too many unpleasant memories.

"Nika, bring your mind back to the present!" Snapped Domenico, anger flashing across his face. Usually the _veterano _was a patient man, but the last few days had tested his patience. More and more, Nika withdrew into her mind, making it near impossible for him to reach her and teach her what he was supposed to.

"Had this been a real fight, between you, the Borgia, the Templars…a guard even, you would be dead! Beheaded, stabbed in the side multiple times, without your sword arm!" the man seethed, slashing his sword across the space between them for emphasis. Nika sighed once again and shoved loose hair back behind her ear.

"But it was not a real fight, Domenico, and the worst I have to fear from you are a few bumps and bruises, maybe a cut or two." Nika replied, sounding far away and not completely _there_. That unsettled Domenico more than he would like. He opened his mouth to reprimand her once more, when a motion of white in the entrance to the hall caught their attention. Nika and the other four recruits bowed to Ezio as he strode into the room, but all of them tensed when he continued his forward motion, drawing his sword in the process. It hissed against its scabbard like an angered snake.

"You continue to whine to me, _bambina_, about how you feel you deserve a ranking equal to Melchiorre's at the least, yet continuously you have failed to convince me that you do deserve it." Ezio lunged at Nika, jabbing the point of his sword at her midsection half-heartedly, and Nika knocked it aside with her own sword, taking up a defensive stance. This was different. Ezio had never engaged her in a sparring match. The two circled one another as Nika replied.

"You have given me neither chance nor reason to prove myself to you, _assassino_." This time, she lunged, aiming a slashing blow that would have struck him just above his midsection, however Ezio was much quicker than Nika. Quicker than Elletra even. Her blow glanced off his sword and away, leaving an opening. Ezio moved in for the 'kill', knocking her sword from her hand effortlessly. He grabbed her by the front of her shirt, only to throw her backwards seconds later. She tripped over her feet and struggled to catch her balance, but then the back of her foot caught on the stairs and she fell backwards. Pain lanced up her back as the edges of the hard stone stairs dug into it and she briefly lost the feeling in her left arm as her wrist bone cracked against a step. She gasped for air, stunned, and before she could regain her senses, Ezio was atop her, pinning her further into the steps and pressing the edge of one of his hidden blades dangerously against the tanned expanse of her throat. He leaned in, his lips brushing against her ear and warm breath disturbing her hair as he whispered low so that the others in the room did not hear him.

"If you have a quarrel with me, brat, you will take it up with me yourself. Do not ask La Volpe to fight your battles for you. He will not always be there to protect and coddle you like a mother hen." She felt his blade bite into her skin and a trickle of blood slid down the side of her neck. Ezio was gone as quickly as he was there. He moved about ten feet away then spun to face her. He crouched low and brought his sword up again. He did not need to speak for Nika to get the message. She stood, swiping at the blood with the back of her hand as she reclaimed her sword from Vincenzo. She took up her stance a few feet from the angered assassin and studied him cautiously. She could not afford a wandering mind now. She had no doubt that Ezio would beat her inches from death if he had to in order to ingrain his 'lesson' into her head. None of the recruits would stop him either and Machiavelli was out for the day. She was on her own.

Ezio did not move much, apparently wanting her to make the first move and she did as he wanted. She charged forward, an angered cry falling from her lips as she raised her sword and swung. The sound of the swords meeting rang off the walls and Nika leapt backwards in order to avoid the strike Ezio aimed at her right side. She lashed out at him again, their blades met and locked, and it was a battle of strength rather than speed and cunning.

To the recruits, it looked for a moment that they were easily matched, but soon the shaking in Nika's arms became visible and she faltered. Ezio bore down on her and Nika withdrew, stumbling backwards in an attempt to avoid the dagger in Ezio's other hand as it darted out at her. She was not completely successful and it caught her high up on her side, just under her arm, and dragged down. Her breast band was cut through and she felt it fall, but she paid it or the sting the cut left no attention. The woman blocked Ezio's next blow, and the next, but he was pushing her back and her arms were buzzing with the force of his blows. She felt her hand loosen moments before her sword was ripped from her hand once again and Ezio planted his boot firmly in her stomach. Again, she was sprawled across the ground, gasping for air. Instead of getting up this time and going for her sword, Nika drew her dagger as she got her feet under her, taking Ezio by surprise and tackling him to the ground. She had hoped to have his sword knocked from his hand in the process, but he held onto it as if God himself could not take it from his hands. Just as she brought her own dagger up to his throat, he brought the pommel of his sword down on her temple and Nika's head flared in pain. The world around her turned into a multitude of colors and Ezio's smirking face was the last she saw before the darkness took her.

"-wish you had not done that. It was not necessary to get your point across. She is not unreasonable. You could have just as easily sat her down and talked to her like civilized adults." Was the first thing Nika heard as she swam back into consciousness. The first thing she noticed after that was not the pain in her back or her wrist, but in her head.

"She has selective hearing, La Volpe. She complains to me about how I mistreat her, and I try explaining, but it is as if she does not hear me. Does not _want_ to hear what I have to say. I cannot make the other recruits feel as if I am giving her special treatment because she is your ward. She had no right asking you to speak to me about such matters."

"That may be so, but she did not ask me to speak with you. I did that of my own volition. Do you not think you may be treating her a bit more harsh than is needed."

"If she is captured by the Borgia or the Templars, they will not care if they are 'treating her a bit more harsh than is needed'. I am doing this for her own good, and the sooner the two of you realize this, the better." Ezio spat and Nika heard somebody pace back and forth agitatedly. She guessed it was Ezio because La Volpe rarely paced when he was angry. If anything he was _calmer_ when he became angered. More still.

"Do you not remember what it was like when you were her age?" This was Machiavelli. Nika resisted the urge to frown. What were all three of them doing in her room. She remembered what Ezio had done, the pain in her head and through her body attested for that, but had it been any other recruit, they would have just been left in their rooms until they came around.

"When I was her age, I was hunting down those responsible for the death of my father and brothers, Machiavelli. She does not have that excuse, because La Volpe killed her father's murderer for her."

"I gave you that information in great confidence, not to use it against us." La Volpe's voice was edged with icy warning and everyone fell silent until La Volpe continued. "And in any case, she had already been tracking him down. If she had not done that, the man would have escaped my clutches. She is brilliant when the occasion calls for it. However, she does not like being ordered around. Find the balance between you two and then give her your orders in a manner that will make her feel like she has a choice." Hearing La Volpe say this caused her blood to run cold, even though she knew he meant nothing by it. To him, it was merely a fact.

"It is simply not possible La Volpe. She listens only to you. She is loyal only to you. You sent her here to train under my wing, so that she will be a help to us in the near future, but she is setting our plans back further rather than helping them proceed. She is becoming a liability. If she does not make an improvement in behavior and skill soon, we will have to send her away. She is a danger to have around you La Volpe, if we cannot make good use of her."

"So, I suppose the decision is up to her. We cannot keep the truth from her forever. To me, it seems she will cooperate a lot more were we to just explain to her why we are asking these things of her. Is that not correct, Nika?" Machiavelli's voice called out to her and she laid still a moment longer, frozen in place at having been caught faking sleep, but when Ezio ripped the blankets off the bed been and scowled down at her, she had no choice but to give up her ruse. She sat up slowly, wincing at the lances of pain shooting through her back and her wrist and imagined they were both bruised something terrible. She glanced down at her wrist and saw that it was noticeably swollen, even under the bandages. She wouldn't be climbing any buildings anytime soon. She stuck her hand up her shirt and felt the bandages around her torso to keep the cut on her side from being infected.

"We had Elletra come in and bandage you." Ezio explained, as if Nika cared in particular who bandaged her. She was not a modest person. La Volpe had seen her without clothes plenty of times, just as she had seen him. It may have seemed odd to most people, but sometimes there was no time for modesty when ones lives were at stake. Nika scoffed in Ezio's direction and La Volpe chuckled knowingly. It took the ebony haired woman a minute, but she finally managed to make it to her feet.

"So, what is going on, La Volpe?" Nika questioned her mentor with a raised eyebrow and he sighed.

"There is a Templar by the name of Sebastiano Trabocchi. I ran across him in Venice almost a year ago and one thing led to another. I caused the death of his beloved cousin and he has been tracking me down ever since. Now, he is here in Roma. Not only does he have his men at his disposal, but when Cesare learned of his disposition towards the assassins, Sebastian has gained high favor with the the _bastardo_. Sebastiano merely has to say a few nice words to Cesare and he gets what he wants, anything, in order to get to me. Thus, I sent you here to train under Ezio. Not only does it keep you away from the Inn, and the dangers that causes the both of us, but it gives you the opportunity to better learn to defend yourself, whilst helping the Brotherhood. I may have trained you well, Nika - you are one of my best thieves - but I have taught you stealth and trickery. Ezio can teach you more about full combat. Eventually you will have to fight a multitude of armed opponents alone, without the aide of anyone else and without the ability to hide."

"Which is where you come in." Ezio added, pouring himself a glass of wine and sipping at it, regardless that it was a bottle Nika had worked months to earn enough money to buy. One of the few things she had not stolen. She glared at him, but said nothing. She was still hurt at how quickly he had managed to take her down. And once she had thought that, she realized that what La Volpe said was true. If Ezio could take her down that quickly, what chance had she against a large group of guards? Sudden comprehension dawned her as if she had been bashed upside the head by a mallet. She blinked a few times and nodded.

"Fine. What do I have to do?" She directed this question to Ezio. He looked her straight in the eyes and said,

"You and Melchior are going to travel to Venice. The Thieves Guild there has fallen to the Templars. You are to assist them in taking back their guild and then you are going to hunt down Sebastiano's family. Once you find them, you are to escort them back here to Roma. You will meet up with Vincenzo and Domenico, who will escort the family to _La Volpe Addormentada_. You and Melchiorre will head back here where you will wait for Elletra, who has left on a mission. She already knows generally what his happening, but you are to fill her in on how everything went. Afterwards, the three of you will proceed to lure Sebastiano's men away from him, and into a trap that Bartolomeo has set up. Stay with Bartolomeo's men until you hear otherwise."

"This does not sound like a mission for a mere _servitore_." Nika commented dryly, but inside she was thrilled. If anything, this mission was ranked at Melchiorre's level or one above. She was excited and already she was wanting to leave. But first things first.

"Why did you not tell me before? I would have been far more cooperative." She inquired. Machiavelli shot his companions a pointed look and said,

"La Volpe was being an over protective father. He needed some sense talked into him." The man did not elaborate any further and La Volpe glared. It seems that the two still did not get along very well. Nika and Ezio shared a look that plainly suggested they both knew what the other went through in regards to La Volpe and Machiavelli's relationship.

"When do we leave? Who is going to take leadership at the Guild in Venice? And how much time do we have?"

"You will leave tomorrow, since your wounds are not severe. La Volpe says you have had worse and operated…well enough. You will travel by horse, so it should only take you two, three days at the most to reach Venice even if you make regular stops along the way. The sooner the better. You have a week once you arrive to take back the Guild. La Volpe has already sent Rafaello to the Guild a few days ago. He will be assuming leadership, at least until another is appointed. If you take the Guild back before the week is out, send word so that we may adjust our plans accordingly. After you take the Guild, find the family. This should not be too difficult for you, _Signora Lupa_. I hear you have an uncanny ability in hunting people down and scaring them out of hiding. Afterwards, use whatever means necessary in getting the family here. Alive, if you will, but if you have to use some force, I am not one to complain. Make sure you are not followed. You should be back in Roma by the end of next week at the latest." Ezio finished off his wine and sat the glass down on the table he was leaning against.

"In the meantime, I am going to teach you how to defend yourself." He muttered and made a rather dramatic exit, his cape billowing out behind him as he left. The last three inhabitants of the room expressed varying levels of amusement as the door clicked shut behind the Master Assassin.

"Well, I will leave the two of you to catch up." Machiavelli commented, as he too left Nika's room. As soon as Nika could not hear his footsteps any longer, she turned to La Volpe.

"Has Ezio always been so abrupt?"

"Ezio…" La Volpe trailed off, in search for the words needed to express his thoughts. "Ezio just has a lot on his mind. Machiavelli has been thinking of promoting him to _il mentore_. Since the beginning of the Order _il mentore_ was the title given to leaders who have great wisdom and have trained many recruits. The last is the only thing holding Machiavelli back. Ezio was taken into the Order under pressing circumstances – the death of his brothers and his father, then the death of his uncle later on, being forced from his childhood home – he grew up quicker than he should have, much like when you were younger."

"Only, what I went through was not as traumatic as what Ezio has gone through." Nika murmured in understanding. She inspected the glass Ezio had used, decided he was a clean enough person, and poured herself a half glass of wine. She sipped at it as La Volpe continued.

"Traumatic experiences differ from person to person. Ezio's childhood was far more luxurious than your own. If you had gone through what he had, you would have made different decisions and the death of your family would not have been so traumatic. Just as he would have, had his father tried arranging his marriage to a man old enough to be his grandfather." Laughter sparkled in La Volpe's eyes, even though he made no sound. Nika snorted and almost choked on her wine.

"Still, he can try being more…I do not know… more warm? I do not see him talking with anyone, other than Claudia's girls, during his spare time. He does not seek out you or Machiavelli. He is always working, his conversations always centered around the Templars and Borgia and the upcoming war. Even you and Machiavelli take a night off every once and a while."

"Perhaps you should be the one to try dragging him out of his hole? Nobody else is keen on getting their heads lopped off." La Volpe mused. Nika was not sure if that was a compliment or not, so she ignored it.

"What advise will you give me then, if I am to try?"

"During times of war, there is scant enough time to be 'warm' towards those around you. He most likely does not realize he is doing it, however. Ezio was seventeen when he took up work as an assassin. He has been an assassin for roughly twenty-five years now." La Volpe shrugged non-challantly. Nika paused, the wine glass mid-way to her lips.

"Twenty-five years? That would make him nearly forty-two! He doesn't look a day over thirty!" Nika exclaimed, for she was surprised. Even on first seeing Ezio, she had believed he was not much older than she was. Being in his forties made him older than Machiavelli by ten years or so, and closer to La Volpe's age than her own. All the topics tumbled together in her mind, and she made a face when the first outcome was _La Volpe is as old now, as the man that my father wished me to marry was five years ago_. And Ezio was as old as her father had been five years ago as well. It was all very strange to Nika, who had never really put much thought to it herself. Suddenly she seemed very young.

"Which is surprising in itself. Usually stress makes one appear older than they are. It has happened to Machiavelli, as you have seen. How that man has managed to sire children is beyond me. I do not know what women see in him."

"Careful, Volpe. That tone speaks strongly of bitterness." Nika remarked sarcastically. She took note of his use of sire over father, and backed up her sentiment that La Volpe did not like Machiavelli at all.

"How come you have no children?"

"I have you, and that is all I need." He said too quickly. Nika raised an eyebrow and even though she was flattered, she was not going to let him get away with such an answer. He knew it too, and sighed a moment later.

"I had a wife once, when I was your age. Back when I first started calling myself La Volpe instead of Gilberto. We had a son a year or so later, and my wife died in childbirth. I raised our son, Ilario, until he was five." La Volpe paused and he got a far away look on his face. Nika waited in silence for him to continue. "One night, one of my enemies had his spies follow me home, where Ilario and I lived with our maid and stable boy. The house was set on fire, and the stable boy died. I was able to get the maid to escape with Ilario, and for years afterwards, I have searched in vain for them. Wherever my son is, if he is still alive, I can only hope that he is living the best of lives." La Volpe still looked as if he were in thought, so Nika gave him a moment, while she wandered her thoughts as well. It was strange, that La Volpe could not find his son of all people. She was sure the man had exhausted each and every one of his resources, he would do anything to make sure she was safe and she was not of his blood, or that of his beloved wifes. Only the best of Templar's had the ability to remain hidden from La Volpe, and only if they were lucky. Nika could not help but wonder if Ilario and that maid had been captured by Templars, if the enemies he spoke of that had burned down his house were Templars. She dared not ask though. Instead, she said,

"_Grazie_, for sharing that with me." and she finished the last of her wine. La Volpe nodded and stood. He barely spared her a goodbye nod, before he too left her room, leaving her alone and with more questions than answers.


	4. Chapter 4

Nika winced as she swung off the horse, refusing Melchiorre's help. She had never ridden a horse before and did not look forward to the ride back to Roma. She glared at the man and he cringed the slightest bit, which went a ways in improving her mood. She grabbed her packs off the horse as a stable boy ran up to take care of their horses. Teodora sauntered out of _La Rosa della Virtú_. She had not seen the woman since she was sixteen, the day that she found out that La Volpe could only ever see her as a daughter, and the day that her father died. The woman had not changed much. There was perhaps a bit more grey in her hair, perhaps a few more lines on her face, but she still stood proudly and walked as if she expected the world to fall at her feet. She smiled a strained smile as she stopped a few paces from where the assassin recruits stood.

"Ezio said that he was sending some of his own to help. That one of you was raised a thief. I did not expect to be seeing you, however, _piccola. _I figured that La Volpe and Ezio would wish to keep you as near them as possible. Especially La Volpe. I remember a time when you would refuse to separate from him. Like a _bambina_ hanging off her fathers coat tails." The way Teodora said that, Nika was not sure if it was meant to be affectionate or otherwise.

"I believe she annoyed Ezio into it." Melchiorre mumbled, surreptitiously taking a step sideways to avoid the blow that he believed Nika would aim at him. She merely rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"I only asked that Ezio rank me according to my skill, rather than according to the danger of the missions he wished to keep me from. And I did not get sent on this mission because I _annoyed_ anybody, _stronzo. _I got sent because I know the Thieves' Guild better than the back of my own hand, and I can help rebuild it from the bottom up and the inside out. Luka, and whoever remains of the old Guild, will need me for this more than they will need you. I am also on this mission because La Volpe trusts me with the other bit. You, on the other hand, are only here in case I need a bit of help."

"Perhaps we should discuss such matters inside, rather than out in the open. The factions are being watched these days." Teodora admonished the both of them, and they both looked like children who had just been punished for stealing a pastry before dinner. Melchiorre strode inside the building and Nika followed with a sigh, but before she could cross the threshold of the courtesan's home, Teodora stopped her.

"How is our friend these days?" Teodora leaned in close to her as she asked this, and something in the depths of her eyes kept Nika from snapping or forming a sarcastic remark. Instead, she replied as truthfully as she could.

"Under the circumstances? We are being pushed on all sides, as far as I understand it. I am merely a recruit anymore and Ezio does not trust me as much as La Volpe. I do not get to see him as much as I would like. We all have the Borgia and the Templar threat. The Guild in Roma is under surveillance. I was forced to leave and train under Ezio. I do not know much of the matters of the _mercenari. _However, Bartolomeo seems to be fairing the best. Claudia has dealt with her own share of problems, but she is strong and can handle them. La Volpe has made a special friend, whom is a big threat to us. His family is part of our mission here in Venezia." Nika kept her voice low, but she forced her body to stay relaxed. They were suspicious as it was, but nothing was more suspicious than two tense people whispering back and forth. Teodora nodded and they stepped inside, closing the door behind them.

Inside, half-dressed women – Nika spotted a few half-dressed men as well – roamed about. Today, _La Rosa della Virtú_ was closed. Nika also spotted many that she thought were, without a doubt, thieves from the local Guild. She turned to Teodora askance.

"Since the Guild has fallen, I have taken as many of them under my care as I have dared. Some of them have disguised themselves as my own, but the others stay hidden from sight or pose as customers. There are others still, with families, scattered throughout Venezia." As she said this, a familiar man descended the stairs with a rather annoyed looking woman at his side. They argued obviously but in hushed voices. Nika stared the man down until his body tensed and he scanned the room. Her dark eyes met Lukah's honey colored glare and he faltered mid-step. Noticing this, Lukah's wife cut off her heated words and followed her husbands, now surprised, gaze. Nika saw Lukah's lips move, forming her name, before he all but flew down the steps and raced towards her. She dropped her packs at her feet and, moments later, was swept up in the older man's arms.

"Nika! You are alright! La Volpe said you were doing just fine, but its nice seeing it myself!" He squeezed her until she was sure her ribs were going to crack but she did not mind. In fact, she was pretty sure she hugged the man just as hard.

"You left without saying goodbye to anyone, Nika. How could you?" Lukah's wife berated, eyes narrowed and hands propped on her hips.

"I'm sorry Rachelle. The news came suddenly to me, and I still had hope that I'd see you lot again in the future." Nika explained, pulling away from Lukah who let her go reluctantly.

"_Veramente_? And what if you had not? Nika, you may have died and we would not have seen you again!" Rachelle exclaimed.

"Then all the better for it. You would have remembered me as a stubborn, hard-headed thief, rather than a blubbering little girl setting out to train with _l'assassino_."

"I doubt you would ever be a blubbering little girl, _sorellina_. Or is it Signora Lupa now?" Lukah grinned when Nika groaned. Ezio's name for her had caught on.

"I'm going to kill Ezio." Nika complained.

"You can dream, Nika. You could not even hold your own in a spar with him." Melchoirre sounded from her right. Her head snapped in his direction and almost immediately, her bad mood returned.

"I would like to see you last as long as I did!" she spat. "Ezio's skill is not taken lightly. He has trained from a young age doing what he does. We can only dream to be as skilled as he." Her statement had her wondering when she had taken to defending Ezio, for it surely seemed as if Melchiorre believed he was able to best the Master Assassin in a fight. Nika was sure she could beat Melchiorre, and if Ezio could beat her, Melchiorre stood no chance against the man. Melchiorre did not reply anyway, and resumed what he had been doing previously. She looked back at Lukah and Rachelle, both of whom were staring at her quite oddly.

"What?" She asked.

"You sparred with _l'assassino_ and lived?" Rachelle's jaw looked like it was about to hit the floor. Nika rolled her eyes.

"It is not like Ezio is interested in killing his recruits. He has recruited us for a reason, though I doubt that he is as willing to have me along now as he was before he met me." Nika smirked to herself and Lukah shook his head in amusement.

"Why am I not surprised?" he muttered. "In any case, you must be tired after your travels. Teodora has freed two rooms for you and your companion. You should rest. Tomorrow, all our problems begin."

"Perhaps, after we have rested a bit, you could fill us in?" Melchiorre inquired, and Lukah nodded.

"Of course. After supper then. If the two of you will follow me, I will show you to your rooms." Lukah turned and led the way back up the stairs. Rachelle stayed behind, but Nika caught an unpleasant look cross her face. Melchiorre's room was close to the stairs and he disappeared into it rather quickly. Nika's room was further back and away from all the noise, just as she preferred it. Lukah opened her door for her and she set her bags down inside, but she made no move to enter the room further.

"Lukah, what is happening between Rachelle and you? The two of you seem extremely tense." Nika searched Lukah's face, but it was closed off to her so that she could not read anything Lukah did not want her to know. Lukah shook his head, the shaggy brown hair flopping this way and that.

"Elisabetta has been sick since yesterday morning. She has been coughing and running a fever. Rachelle demands to take her to see the _dottore_ again. I do not think that there is anything more he can do."

"I do not know much about illnesses, or children, but-"

"I do not mind, Nika, but let's be quick about it. Mothers are terrifying when they believe their children are in danger. As much as Rachelle loves you, I would not doubt if she will consider you a danger. Sometimes I think she considers me as such." Lukah shook his head once more and he led her back down the hall, where they turned the corner to another set of stairs that led up. Their room was about halfway down that hall, and he let Nika slip inside.

Elisabetta was small and ugly. Nika never liked the looks of children, did not understand when women would call a newborn child beautiful. At six months, Elisabetta was no different. She was wrinkly, fat and nearly bald. The only striking thing about her, was that she had her fathers eyes. The babe coughed as Nika drew near, coughs that sounded rather painful. She was sleeping, albeit fitfully and Nika hesitantly drew back the plush blankets that surrounded her small form. She frowned down at what she saw. Across the lower right part of her neck and part of her right shoulder, was an angry red rash. Lukah saw her staring and nodded.

"The _dottore_ said that it was merely a heat rash, that she was too hot. But, anytime we leave her uncovered, she shivers violently and cries. I do not know what to do anymore, _mio amica_…I am scared." Lukah looked as helpless as he sounded and Nika slowly brought her gaze back to the slumbering infant. Nika had seen this sort of rash before, she had been young, but she remembered that the stories surrounding it terrified her. One of the young boys she had played with as a child had contracted the same illness, and two of the other children she played with did as well not long afterwards. The other two survived, but that one young boy died a week into the illness. Nika had not heard of it ever developing in one so young though, rarely did adults catch it, and usually only children between five and fifteen.

"Lukah. As I have said, I do not know much about illnesses, but I have seen something similar in my childhood. I do not think the _dottore_ is correct." Nika shook her head with a frown and reached out to gently run her fingertips over the angry looking rash. She pulled back quickly, after feeling its rough texture.

"That is no heat rash."

"What are you saying, Nika. Tell me!" he pleaded, grasping her forearm tightly in his hand and giving it a shake. Nika opened her mouth to reply, but the door swung open with a near inaudible creek. The two thieves turned to look as Rachelle strode in. She paused when she saw the way the two crowded around her child.

"Lukah?" she tilted her head with a frown and briskly headed for her child, shoving Nika out of the way and readjusting the blankets around her. "I told you not to disturb her! She needs her rest, or the heat rash will not-"

"It is not a heat rash, Rachelle. The _dottore_ unintentionally misled you. I believe it is the beginnings of Scarlet Fever." Nika cut in, and both of the infant's parents froze on the spot. Scarlet Fever was not something to take lightly. There were survivors, of course, but they usually ended up extremely weak afterwards and were quick to succumb to illness afterwards. Yet, Nika had never heard of one so young contracting it. She rubbed her fingers together, the ghost touch of the rash bugging her, before she turned on her heal and approached the water basin. There, she scrubbed her hands clean until they were bright red.

"What do you mean, it is Scarlet Fever?" Rachelle's voice was high pitched in panic. Nika dried her hands on her robes and fidgeted under the gaze of her friends.

"Lukah said she has been ill since yesterday morning. When I was little, the_dottore_ told the adults that one could carry the illness for two days before showing signs of it. Afterwards, the illness can last anywhere from a week to two weeks. There are some medicines that help it, but none that cure it. And, I do not know about the two of you, but I would not trust this _dottore_ you have already seen. He obviously does not know what he is speaking of." Nika did not mean for her words to have the effect that they did. Rachelle began crying, great wracking sobs and Lukah looked to his wife for a moment, unsure of what to do, before he collapsed into a chair. Despair hung in the room and nearly suffocated Nika.

"We cannot afford the other _dottore_ in Venezia. I have not been able to pickpocket lately. The Templars…" Lukah waved his hand in explanation and Nika nodded determinedly.

"I have a bit of coin that I do not need on this mission. Ezio has already given Melchiorre and I enough to cover the costs of anything for the next few weeks. You can use that, and I will take to the streets this evening, before dinner. I will pickpocket." She had not even finished her plan, before Lukah was shaking his head.

"You will risk getting caught and compromising your mission. Then Ezio will never trust you the way you need him to, Nika. And it will be a blow to the Order. Too much rests upon the completion of this mission."

"What about Elisabetta? Is she not more important that your _prezioso_ Order! She is our child, Lukah!" Rachelle cried, looking like she was about ready to rip Lukah apart with her hands and teeth.

"Rachelle is right. Much may rest on the completion of the mission, but the mission in itself is not that _difficile_. Melchiorre can easily complete it should I be captured, which I will not be in any case. It is more important that I at least take the chance so that your daughter does not have to suffer through this." Nika grasped her friend's shoulders and squeezed them. "Do not worry my friend. _Potete contare su di me_." She gave him her best reassuring smile. When neither of them replied, she nodded and went to Lukah's wardrobe.

"I am going to borrow some clothes. Ezio refused to let me bring any of my own, unless they were the robes of a recruit. He even made me wear shoes." She made a face, which had Lukah chuckling a bit, and Rachelle shot her a watery smile. She took a pair of brown breeches and an undyed shirt, then went behind the room divider and changed quickly. She immediately felt more comfortable in the commoner clothing. As she stepped back into the main area of the room, Rachelle handed her a cap that Lukah had worn on occasion. With her friends help, she shoved the majority of her hair under it. She looked questioningly at Lukah when he stood from the chair and headed towards the door.

"I am coming with you. Last thing I need is La Volpe flying over here as a bat from Hell and demanding what happened to his beloved daughter." Lukah muttered as Nika swept, barefooted once again much to her pleasure, right out the door after him. She padded down the stairs and, only as a last minute decision, did she decide to check in with Melchiorre and Teodora. Once they were informed of where she was going – Teodora only warning the two of them away from more dangerous streets and Melchiorre throwing a child's tantrum for nearly twenty minutes – they was out the door and in the midday air.

Venezia was busy, which Nika felt made their task a whole lot easier, but even so, they walked for nearly an hour in a direction that could not directly be related to _La Rosa della Virtú_. They slipped into a crowd of people who were watching a street performer do flips and contort himself in a majority of different ways.

As this was happening, Lukah pretended to want a closer look and occasionally bumped into a few people, starting a small argument, while Nika swept through them. She kept her eyes focused on the street performer and allowed various reactions to his show, but as she did this, her hands deftly swept inside pockets and purses, only taking a couple coins at a time.

Once she got a fair amount, she moved away from the crowd and on to browse the wares at a few different stands. About five minutes later, Lukah joined her. They worked that way, Nika as the pick and Lukah as the stall, for nearly two hours, and soon enough – in addition to the money Nika loaned him – Lukah had enough money to afford a better _dottore_ and see to his wife and child's comfort. She handed the money over to Lukah quickly, and he tucked it away somewhere safe on his person.

They were on their way back to the courtesan's hideout, when they were recognized. A group of three guards nearby came over as a woman began screaming at the two of them and her husband shoved Lukah. Lukah stumbled backwards and panicked, falling onto his ass as the guards drew nearer, pushing onlookers out of their way as they came from the left. To her right, Nika saw a patrol of four round the corner and immediately take notice of the commotion.

As thieves, Lukah and Nika would normally have taken to running, just as she had done when Ezio caught her cutting his purse. However, the past few days had been stressful to Lukah and he was not up to par. He was currently struggling to his feet and making ready to run. Nika would not stop him if he did run, but the guards were closing in fast and her month or so of assassin's training kicked in as La Volpe's words from the night Ezio beat her at her spar came back to her. _I may have trained you well, Nika - you are one of my best thieves - but I have taught you stealth and trickery. Ezio can teach you more about full combat. Eventually you will have to fight a multitude of armed opponents alone, without the aide of anyone else and without the ability to hide. _

She could not rely on Lukah. Lukah's combat skills were not a match for the guards. And, she was in the middle of the market and the guards had already spotted her. She would be hard pressed to loose the guards' tail and find a hide spot within the city, but even then she would be forced to leave Lukah behind, which was not an option. There was no other logical choice, she figured, than to stand her ground and make use of her training.

The first of the guards came from her left. He made to grab a hold of her but she ducked and jammed her shoulder into his midsection. Her shoulder collided painfully into his chest guard, but the force of it toppled him over and she snatched the notched cinquedea from it's sheathe at his belt. She did not have enough experience with a sword for his to be of much use to her.

The next guard attacked, swinging his sword. She parried, blocking it with the short blade, and then leapt backwards about half a foot, before bringing the blade down on the guards forearm. He screamed out and dropped his sword, but Nika took no pity on him. She lunged forward and slammed the blade up under his chin. Blood sprayed out and flowed over her hand, but she paid the warm substance no mind. The guard held her eyes as his glazed over. She ripped the blade from his flesh with a slick sound, before she turned to face her next enemy as the guards body dropped to the ground.

She did not know what happened to Lukah, but he was not in her immediate sight. That was not so surprising, considering all the civilians running around and screaming. It was only a matter of time before more guards arrived.

Two guards attacked next and Nika dodged, hearing their swords clash against each other right above her head. She maneuvered out from under them and spun, her blade sliding home in the back of one of the guards necks before she ripped it free once more and danced away. Searing pain lanced across the flexed muscle of her left calf, and once she shifted off it, the muscles relaxed and blood seeped into the fabric of her breeches. She hissed and stumbled, falling to one knee. Her falter gave the remaining five guards enough time to close in on her. A spear jabbed into the soft flesh near her shoulder and she darted forward to escape it, but nearly impaled herself on another guard's sword.

Her heart hammered in her ears and she looked around frantically. She was trapped! They had her! Nika let out an animalistic snarl, sneering when one of the younger guards came too close. She slashed out at him and his sword glanced off her blade with a sharp ringing noise. As she did this, the sound of something thudding against metal armor caught her attention and she turned in time to see Lukah take out the guard with a spear, a broom he had picked up from the ground having caved in the guard's helmet.

She was grabbed from behind and her weapon was knocked from her hand. She struggled, but two guards had a good hold on her and she could not break free of them. Lukah looked at her and at the other two guards advancing on him. He began backing up, looking between Nika, the guards, then back again. She nodded at him briefly, before she kneed a guard in the groin. He howled out in pain and began cursing at her, and one of the other guards punched her. Nika's head exploded in pain and the world was veiled by a series of colorful, dancing lights. She felt blood fill her mouth and she watched through lowered lashes as her distraction allowed Lukah to escape relatively unnoticed. The guard she kneed in the groin was not happy when he gained control of himself once more.

_ "Tu pagherà per questo, puttana_." A large, no doubt meaty fist, outfitted with a shining metal gauntlet slammed into her stomach. Nika grunted and ground her teeth together. Her breath left her and she attempted to suck in more, but the fist slammed into the same area of her stomach a second time. She gagged and practically keened. The guards laughed.

"How does that feel, _strada feccia_?" One of the guards asked, but she couldn't tell which one. This had all gone horribly wrong. She had been so sure that they would not be caught. Yet, the exact opposite had happened. She had never been caught by the guards before. Had prided herself on it even, back in Roma. What would La Volpe think? Shame filled Nika, and she felt disgusted with herself. She should have been able to handle this. Her hat had fallen off her head sometime in the fight, and now one of the guards grabbed ahold of her hair and jerked her head back, even as the gauntleted fist pounded into her stomach a third time. She cried out for real and tried doubling over, but the hold on her hair prevented her from doing such.

A guard sneered at her and said something, but her head was spinning and she did not catch what he had said. This apparently displeased him, because he said something else and she was punched in the face once more. She could only be thankful that that hand had not been adorned with a gauntlet.

The hand holding her hair shoved her down to the ground, on her knees and the blood of one of the dead guards soaked into her breeches. Her calf burned and flared up in pain at the movement and the small cut on her back protested. She vaguely noticed that all the civilians had dispersed once the fight had begun and nobody was around to help.

Dread filled her when the big guard with the gauntlet stood before her and began undoing the laces on his breeches. The other three were laughing and saying something. The world swayed and Nika blinked hard. The lights just would not disappear completely. She was not far gone enough, though, to not act out when the guard came closer. She growled again and lunged forward, the grip in her hair causing her jaws to snap closed inches from the guard's groin. He cried out, though she had not been close enough to do any harm, and once he realized this, he slammed his knee into her face. Blood spilled from the corners of her mouth and she spat some of it out onto the ground.

The next few minutes of her life passed in a haze, and she sunk into her mind, refusing to be present for it. She slid away from the laughter and the torment, the pleasured noises and the musky, sweaty smell. She refused to cry, but she felt the burn of the salty liquid behind her closed lids and felt more vulnerable than she had ever felt since she was sixteen years old. She did not realize the guard pull back until he had a grasp on her neck and yanked her from her knees and into a standing position.

"What should we do with her, _capitano_?" One of the guards behind her asked. The guard with a hold on her neck grinned.

"Send her to the _Piombi_ in the _Palazzo Ducale_. Let her think about what she has done." He growled and shoved her back into the arms of the guards behind her. She sagged and tried to bite back the cry of pain. She hurt all over and she could not quite make out which area hurt worse. The guards dragged her along and it seemed like forever. As they passed through the more populated areas, people snuck out of buildings to point and stare. Occasionally, the captain of the guard would jeer and shout something about thieves and murderers. Nika could not find it in herself to care anymore. She was a failure, and not only had she failed Lukah, Rachelle and Elisabetta, but she had also failed Melchiorre and Teodora, Ezio and La Volpe…hell she had failed the entire Order. Ezio had been right. She was no more than a whining _bambina_ who did not deserve to be a part of the Order. They were better off without her.

The _Palazzo Ducale_ was large and right next to the damned _Basilica di San Marco_. She sneered rather grotesquely, blood bubbling passed her lips and the guards looked at her and laughed. She was dragged through the front doors and the guards only stopped twice to talk to others who asked what was going on. Nobody halted their progress and soon enough she was thrown into the prison cells of _Palazzo Ducale_.

The _Piombi_, in comparison to the rumors she had heard about _I Pozzi_, was larger and without as many prisoners. The _Piombi_ rested just below the roof of the _Palazzo_, which was covered in a material that allowed the passage of the cold into the prison. However, the summer heat was amplified and the conditions for the prisoners were horrid. She would much prefer having been sent to _I Pozzi_. Even though it was more crowded there and infested with insects of varying species, she would not have to worry about frying in the midsummer heat.

Currently, only two other prisoners were occupying the space and they looked far worse than she did. Both were male, one so old and frail that he looked like flesh-covered bones. The other she figured to be closer to her age, with grimy dark hair, tanned skin and the remains of what looked to be a strong, muscular build but months in prison had quickly caused his physique to deteriorate. Like the old man, however, he looked moments from death and lay, curled upon himself, on the hot, stone ground.

The guards through her into the room and slammed the metal door shut. The older mans eyes trailed over to her and looked her up and down, taking in the blood stained clothing and the injuries that had not been attended to. They younger one was curled in a ball and fast asleep, his face covered in yellowing bruises, even as Nika felt hers begin to swell and turn purple. Nika paid the men no attention, hoping fervently that they would not get the same idea as the guard did. She already had a foul taste in her mouth and did not want to prolong its presence. She also hoped that her wounds did not become infected.

With a frown, she crawled to her own corner and sat, hugging her knees to her chest and succumbed to her despair. She tried ignoring the pain that shot through her wounds occasionally, and succeeded for the most part, but every once in a while, she would move and they would either bleed or twinge in pain.

It could have been days that she sat in that prison. At one point, the younger man had woken and asked for her name, but Nika refused to speak, much less open her eyes and acknowledge the fact that she had ended up in such a horrid place. She did remember, at one point at midday, the room had grown so sweltering hot, that when she had placed her hand on the stone beside her, it burned something awfully and she dared not try to move from her spot. The stone under her had been protected from the brunt of the heat and had not become as hot as the stone surrounding her. The other men had the same idea as her, and avoided the scorching heat that formed around them as much as possible.

Food never came, but occasionally water was served up in rusted buckets. The bucket sat near the door and the three of them did not dare move from their spots, none of them wanted their spots to become hot, and none of them wanted to burn their bare feet crossing the stone. The water sat, tantalizingly cool, near the door and the bucket began to sweat. Nika was convinced the guards had done it on purpose, knowing that they would either thirst to death or severely harm themselves in an attempt to reach the water.

Nika growled deep in her throat, eyes zeroing in on the bucket, and the men's' eyes were drawn to her. She tore her shirt off over her head and ignored the younger mans protests as she ripped the sleeves off. The shirt found its way back on her body, sleeveless, and then Nika began wrapping her bare feet in the cloth. She forced herself into a crouch, her aching limbs rebelling but she gritted her teeth and continued to pull herself into position.

With a deep breath, Nika darted forward. She sprinted, low to the ground and snatched the bucket up, before finding her way back to her spot and plopping down. Already, the stone had begun to warm and was severely unpleasant against her skin, but she bore it. She brought the bucket awkwardly to her lips and drank her fill, before she sat it on the ground before her. The men's' attention was completely on her.

Again, she pulled herself into a crouch and darted to the old man, then back to her spot. The man drank greedily and the younger one shouted something in Spanish. Apparently the older man understood, because he paused in his drinking and lowered the bucket. Without having to be told, Nika darted forward, snatched the bucket, ran to the other man, deposited it in front of him and made a beeline back to her spot. In scalded her as she sat and she gasped in pain, but her skin quickly became used to the heat and she settled down.

Black spots passed across her eyes and her heart beat so quickly, she became short of breath. Sweat beaded on her skin and fell, the salt stinging her eyes. She became aware of the familiar tickle of blood as the wound on her calf reopened itself and she inwardly cringed. She watched the man drink and when he was finished, he caught her eye. She barely noticed the nod, because she was staring into eyes that were startlingly familiar.

La Volpe's eyes. Such an odd red-brown shade that they nearly appeared to be purple.

But the man was most definitely not La Volpe. That much she was certain about. She opened her mouth to speak, but no noise came out. A second try produced a small rasp and only on the third attempt did she manage to croak,

"Who are you?" at the familiar stranger. He shook his head.

"I asked you that question first, days ago. Courtesy demands you introduce yourself first." His cracked lips turned up in the corners slightly, but the amusement was in his eyes more than anything. A sense of eeriness overcame Nika and she regarded him curiously.

"My name is Nika. I come from Roma, but things obviously did not turn out the way they were supposed to."

"Obviously. Nobody plans to be imprisoned." He shook his head with a sigh. "In any case, it is a pleasure to meet you _bella donna_. I am Ilario. I was born here, in Venezia, I am told, but I lived in Barcelona, Spain for the longest time, with a woman who raised me as her own child. When I was eight, she died and her husband," He nodded at the old man and added, "His son, continued to raise me. I came back here to Venezia four months ago, with _Señor_ Isandro and his father _Señor _Santiago. I intended to search out my father, Gilberto. But some inquiries only turned up the name _La Volpe_. I could not even determine my father's connection with this 'Fox' character. Eventually, I fell into the hands of the guards and when _Señor _Santiago attempted to help me, on behalf of his son, he only landed himself here with me as well. I do not know where Isandro is or if he even is still alive." The man – _Ilario_ – finished his story without expecting Nika to elaborate on her own. He was a rather trusting character, one difference she had found in him that showed his father had not brought him up.

"You mentioned your father was Gilberto?" Nika whispered, still a bit stunned by the information. Ilario nodded.

"Yes. And he was somehow connected to this La Volpe. Do either of the names sound familiar to you at all?" He inquired, but his tone of voice was far from hopeful. Nika nodded slowly after a moment, staring at the red-brown eyes of the man. He immediately sat up straighter and made as if he was going to approach Nika.

"Truly! You have heard of them? You must tell me everything you know!" the man exclaimed, suddenly looking years younger, even under all the filth and grime. She nodded again.

"You were arrested, Ilario, because Gilberto _is_ La Volpe. The most elusive Master Thief in all of Italia."


	5. Chapter 5

The heat was unbearable. The thirst agony. Nika was pretty sure that _Señor _Santiago was dead. She could not be sure and she did not want to move and see. The old man lay in his spot, still, unmoving. Nika had stared at him for what she assumed was nearly an hour, still as a statue and searching for any sign of movement; breath, twitching, anything really. There was not much else to do otherwise. She had been in the prison for a week. She should have helped take back the Guild by now. She and Melchiorre should have been hunting down Sebastiano's family. She was a failure.

The heat was unbearable. The thirst…Her mouth prickled painfully and her tongue was swollen so much that it made swallowing difficult. The blood loss did not help much. The cut on her leg was infected, she knew. It would not surprise her if the one on her back was as well. Her torso was a mangled black and blue mass as it had been that one winter when La Volpe's temperamental horse, which he named _Cavallo_, had trampled on her. She hurt all over and because of that, and the heat, she did not move all that much. Still as a statue.

The heat…the thirst…She blinked slowly, her eyelids wanting nothing more than to fall closed. Purple eyes stared back at her from across the smoldering room. Sweat slid down his reddened skin, dripping slowly off the angled contours of his face. La Volpe… She closed her eyes. It could have been days after that, or hours. Maybe merely minutes. She wanted to cry, but her body could not spare that water. She wanted to scream but she could not find her voice. She needed to move, but the heat…

Her skin burned. Rarely did she burn rather than tan. Her skin burned. The thirst. She did not know how it happened or when, but she found herself sprawled out across he ground along the wall. Her side burned, but it no longer mattered if her skin touched the hot stone or not. The heat scalded everything. It was like being in a furnace. It smelled too. They had no means of relieving themselves, other than squatting where they stood. The stench drifted over from the far corner of the room. The stench used to make her gag, but she had grown used to it.

Nika drifted among dreams, among gods as far as she was concerned. Memories floated back to her from the distant past. Childhood friends, heartbreak, purple eyes, crooked smiles, old men, bad breath, purple eyes, sweat, blood, laughter, tears, purple eyes…La Volpe. She missed him, and she realized how much she used to take for granted. A roof over her head that La Volpe, and recently Ezio, had provided, mostly new clothes, water, food…_water. _

And the most absurd thing of all was that she missed Ezio and Domenico just as much as she missed La Volpe. She had made a _promise_…she had made many promises now that she thought of it. To rebuild the Venician Guild, to bring back Sebastiano's family, help set a trap, find a doctor to help heal Elisabetta, to become as assassin. She was a failure.

If a lone tear escaped the corner of her eye, she passed it off as sweat and Ilario did not comment on it. If the occasional sob wracked her body, it fell on deaf ears and was forgotten just as quickly.

Salvation came in the form worried purple eyes and a scowl that formed on a scarred mouth.

Nika thought she had been dreaming when she first heard the noise. It was night time, and the one reprieve she and Ilario had from the heat. Just a few hours before they were thrust back into Hell once again. She lay, staring up at the ceiling, more lucid than she had been in days. They had brought a small cup of water for she and Ilario to share. The man grieved over the loss of his adoptive grandfather.

Nika had shed her shirt days ago, unable to deal with it clinging to her skin and she had thrown it over the dead body's face. She wore only her breeches and her breast band, and already she was considering removing the breeches. Ilario had expressed amusement when she had said as much, but silence had descended not long afterwards.

The room still spun dangerously when she moved even the slightest bit, and her leg itched and burned and ached something fierce. But the heat of the day was momentarily replaced by the warmth of the night and that, at least, was bearable.

Ilario was asleep, exhausted. The poor man was used to a comfortable life. Not luxurious, but comfortable. Being in prison for months was slowly chipping away at him. Nika was better off in a way. She had only been here for a week…perhaps a little more. She had tried keeping track, using the heat of the day as her source, but heat caused memory lapses apparently. She was used to street life. She was used to having to steal and fight to get by. She knew what it was like to have an empty belly for days at a time. In that way, she was better off than Ilario. Yet, Nika was used to her freedom. Her ability to come and go as she pleased. Her soul cried out to the outside world, wanting to be free. Her muscles ached with more than bruises and wounds. She wanted to move, to fight, to spar, to run. She wanted to be free.

It was as she was thinking things like this, when she heard the first of the noise. A shout, one of the guards perhaps, that was immediately cut off. She heard a dull thud, armor hitting stone she realized. Ilario jerked awake with a snort and peered at her through the darkness; she did not see him, but she could feel his eyes on her. Nika struggled to put herself into a crouch, as she was the closest to the door. It pained her, but she learned that if she balanced her weight in just the right way, both her back and her leg were able to hold her upright. Nika heard the creak of the door open, but she did not see it. She did not see who entered, but she recognized the voice.

"Nika." It was urgent, and most definitely La Volpe's. Another shout outside the room was cut off and Nika heard the unmistakable sound of a blade being withdrawn from soft flesh. At La Volpe's voice, however, Nika had flung herself upright and in the direction of his voice. His hands grabbed her and yanked her to him, but almost immediately afterwards she was slammed up against the wall. Her breath hissed out of her and pain flared in her shoulder.

"What were you thinking, Nika? You had your orders and you get caught _pickpocketing_. With Lukah no less!" La Volpe hissed. She could see his odd colored eyes flash, because of how close he stood and his breath fanned out over her face. His eyes reminded her.

"Ilario, La Volpe." She croaked. As the words passed her lips, La Volpe became as still as the stone wall behind her. After a moment and two more cut off cries from outside the room,

"_What_?" His hands gripped her upper arms tighter, but she did not protest.

"Ilario is alive." She rasped, but before La Volpe could say anything else, Ezio burst into the room.

"_Stonzi_. I am out there, doing all the fighting and you lot are in here having a pleasant dinner party! Come on! We have no time. We will have to fight our way to the door. Nika, can you fight?" Ezio demanded, keeping one eye on the door but glancing at her when he asked his question. Nika shook her head.

"I doubt it. I can barely stand. My leg is infected." She explained. La Volpe cursed.

"I can." This was the first time Ilario spoke, and the first time since the rescue party arrived that anyone had paid any attention to him.

"Who are you?" Ezio inquired, sounding a mite bit irritated. Despite herself, Nika grinned. Her lips cracked and one started to bleed a little.

"Ilario." Nika introduced. "Ilario, that is Ezio Auditore, formerly of Firenze. And this is La Volpe." She stressed La Volpe's name a bit, and two sets of purple eyes met and assessed one another.

"Save it for later. We have to leave, _now_." Ezio tossed Ilario an extra sword he had no doubt stolen off a guard and La Volpe wrapped his cape about her shoulders before he slung her arm around his shoulders. They set off out the door, Ezio up front and Ilario taking up the rear. Nika took in the surroundings as they went. Dead bodies lay strewn here and there. Some obviously had been taken by surprise, others twitched as poison finished its job. Others lay in puddles of their own blood, throats severed, limbs lopped off and, in one instance, guts spilled around the body and still omitting heat. Ezio and La Volpe had different signatures, that was for sure.

They made it approximately a forth of the way down the _Palazzo_ before they ran across more Guards. It was like a miniature army. She stood by as La Volpe, Ezio and Ilario began to fight, grasping a dagger La Volpe had shoved at her so tightly that her fingers began to ache. Dots swam in her vision and she forced them away, slashing at a guards back when Ilario had backed him too close to her. The guard grunted in surprise and turned, thinking she was his new opponent, but was taken down by Ilario moments later. Immediately, Ilario had another opponent.

She watched as La Volpe used the shadows to his advantage. He would be there one moment, then gone the next, only to appear all the way across the room seconds later to take out another opponent. Ezio fought as if he was dancing, twisting and lunging and dodging as if the fighting was child's play, often taunting the guards as he did it. Yet, she could see the strain in his features, the tightness around his eyes and mouth. Ilario was not a seasoned warrior. His skill was average at best, something La Volpe would not like in his son. She frowned as she watched two guards advance on the man. She hoped La Volpe would claim him, anyway. After twenty-some-odd years, there was no telling.

She winced when Ilario's blade flew from his hand and the guards sneered. Without thinking about it, she flipped the dagger in her hand so that she was holding the blade, then flung it through the air. It sung as it went, striking like a viper and hit its mark, taking out one of the guards. The other startled, having not expected his comrade to be taken out and Nika used that to her advantage. Snatching a short sword from a nearby body, she charged the last guard that was currently threatening Ilario and their blades clashed. Her wounded calf flared up in irritation, nearly causing her to collapse to her knees as she put all her weight on it, but she gritted her teeth and remained upright. Her arms vibrated with the force of the collision and, gathering all her strength, she shoved the guard away. He caught his balance quickly enough and for the next few minutes, Nika was struggling not to pass out or be impaled on the guard's broadsword. She barely managed to dodge a blow, earning a scratch across her cheek.

A downstroke, and she dodged to the right, jabbing at the guards unprotected midsection, but he leapt backwards just in time for her blade to strike naught but air. Nika snarled and crouched a bit lower, making to take the guard out from his right, but changed direction last minute and swung at his left. Her short sword sliced him from left hip to right shoulder, cleaving a tear through his leather armor and soft flesh that bled profusely. He gaped at her in surprise, even as his body bowed backwards, and then he struck the floor.

She looked at Ilario who had pressed himself against the wall, to see that he too was gaping at her in astonishment. She panted and lowered her sword, not sure if she would be able to lift it again.

"That was amazing!" Ilario cried, looking truly impressed. Any other time, Nika might have swelled with pride. Now, after everything that happened, she knew she had just been lucky. Her skill was not so great as she had once thought it to be. Another guard came at her from the darkness. Panic flared up in her system and she stepped wrong, falling flat on her rear and her bad leg scraping against the ground. He raised his sword high above his head, planning to cleave Nika in two, but a sword appeared from his chest, spilling his blood as it went. Nika blinked and the body was on the floor and Ezio was scowling down at her. He gripped her arm tightly and hauled her up, wrapping an arm around her waist and dragging her to the door. She looked around and saw La Volpe kill the last guard in the room. Ezio dragged her through the door, still holding his sword at the ready, although in his left hand rather than in his right in order to allow Nika to keep her grasp on the short sword in her right. Nika had heard rumors that Ezio was able to use both hands to sword fight, but had not put much stock in them.

Another two flights of stairs and more guards. Nika figured it had been a suicide mission. Her mentors should have just left her here to rot in jail where she belonged - not because she was a thief and murderer, but because she had been stupid enough to get caught. Now they were all going to die. Ezio halted, fifteen feet or so from the guards and Nika looked at the window to their left. It was not long until the sun rose. Already the sky was beginning to lighten and the stars disappear.

"Lay down your weapon, assassin, and you may yet live. Surrender, in the name of _Ducale_ Leonardo Loredano, and we will show you the mercy you have not shown many people." The guard captain ordered. He was the man with the gauntlet, Nika vaguely noted, spying the gauntlet gleaming in the sparse light as if it was taunting her.

"Surrender my lily white ass." Nika literally spat at the mans feet, but it did not get that far. Still, the intent was the same. The guard captains face pinched up as if he smelt something particularly foul; and perhaps he did. Nika had not bathed in a week or more, and Ilario…Nika fought off a snicker. From Ezio, she had expected a reprimand for her rudeness – the man _had_ been raised a noble after all and no matter what side of the law they were on, nobles always held to certain courtesies – yet, the man surprised her when he roared in laughter and she thought she spied La Volpe's fox-like smile from the nearby shadows. She grinned, pleased with herself for the time being.

"I believe I find myself more inclined to agree with _il mio piccola lupa_. She may not have the best way with words, but I believe the sentiment is all the same. We will die before we surrender ourselves to the law of lesser men." Amused. Ezio was amused. Whether it be with her or the situation, she could not be positive. But the amusement was there. Nika was almost positive that it was the lack of water that found her starting to like Ezio's little pet name. By God, she could not actually be starting to _like_ the pest, now could she? She shuddered at the thought.

"I will warn you one last time, _bastardo_. Lay down your weapons, surrender, and you and your friends will come to no further harm." The guard captain growled. Nika sneered at him.

"Does that honestly work for you? Warning your opponents beforehand? You think they are going to just give up like that, surrender their lives to you so that you can just throw them in _Piombi_ or _I Pozzi_? Have you even tried spending a day in either place? I believe it would make you respect the other side of those doors much better."

"Shut your mouth, _putana_, or I will shut it for you in the same manner I did last time." He snarled, his gauntlet clenching in anger. Ezio's muscles tensed, and Nika gritted her teeth.

"What does he mean, _Signora Lupa_?"

"It does not matter, _l'aquila_. Do not think on it." The ice in her tone matched the fire in his. If anything, Ezio became more tense. The guards sneer curled into a smirk.

"Ah. But has not the little whore told you. She has a very pretty mouth. Warm and wet. Fits just right around my cock." The guard captain barely got the last word out his mouth before a _sft_ sounded through the room. An unpleasant look flitted across the guard captains face as another _sft_ noise sounded through the air. A guard to the captain's right made a similar expression, and within moments, the two turned on their comrades. Ezio had not moved, so she figured it had been La Volpe, though what he had done, she was not quite sure.

As chaos erupted among the guards, La Volpe called out Ezio's name and immediately Ezio jerked her towards the window. Glass shattered around them and the two were freefalling. She had no time to scream at the sensation, but she did laugh when she heard Ilario's surprised yelp. Apparently, La Volpe had dragged him out the window as well.

A forth of the way down the _Palazzo_ was still a long ways up.

Ezio had pulled her snuggly against his body to ensure he did not drop her, and just as she was starting to wonder at Ezio's crazy plan, he shouted near her ear.

"Hold onto me tightly, I have to let you go." Without anymore warning, his arms loosened around her and she found herself clinging to him with legs and arms. She dug her nails of one of her hands into the back of his neck, but he did not complain. A loud _woosh_ of material erupting around them had her yelping in a similar fashion Ilario had just done. Their bodies were jerked upwards in the sky and moments later a second similar sound erupted behind them. Ilario yelped again, and Nika looked to see the other two hanging from a large swath of undyed material.

"What are they?" Nika inquired, talking loud enough for Ezio to hear over the sound of the wind rushing by.

"Parachutes." He replied. "My dearest and oldest friend, Leonardo DaVinci, devised them not long ago. Perfect for escapes from high places and a great deal safer than his flying contraption." Ezio was grinning at her fascination, no doubt proud of this artist Nika had only heard whispers of. A friend she had thought worked for the Borgia, but now knew was just a cover…or something.

"Flying contraption?"

"Yes. About eighteen years ago, give or take. I was trying to get into the _Palazzo Ducale_ in order to assassinate Carlo Grimaldi, who was a Templar and trying to recruit the Doge of that time to their cause. I flew off a building far away from the _Palazzo_, but Leonardo had had some people set up fires throughout the city. I flew over the tops of the fires – the hot air lifted me back up and gave me the ability to fly just far enough to reach the next one – and of course I was not able to use my blades, so I kicked them off the rooftops." At that, Ezio expressed a near childish glee and Nika laughed aloud.

"In any case, I was singed in quite a few uncomfortable places and I am sure I injured my ankle kicking one overweight fellow clear off one roof and into the wall of the next. And the landing was not the best." Ezio grinned and Nika saw a side of Ezio she had not seen before. Around the _Isola Tiberina_, he was tense and scowling all the time, constantly running around to get things done. But earlier in the heat of battle, and now as they were escaping, he was significantly more light-hearted.

The difference was that Ezio enjoyed his life as an assassin, Nika knew, when he was out and doing things himself. Bringing justice to 'the lesser men' and peace about Italia is what he lived for now, ever since he was seventeen.

It did not take long for them to land, and when they did, she had to be quick about dropping her legs to the ground so that they could both fall into a roll. The civilians walking about gasped as they landed, then La Volpe and Ilario directly behind, but even as they began to gossip, Ezio threw her arm over his shoulder and his about her waist and they started off again.

_La Rosa della Virtú_ was a sight for sore eyes. Ezio threw open the door, startling many of the occupants inside, but once they saw who it was, people were rushing around. Hands tried grabbing at her, to take her away from Ezio, but she growled at them to back off and after a while, Ezio joined in too. Eventually, they made it to her rooms, where she was deposited on a chair and Ilario on her bed. Teodora was in the room in moments, followed by Lukah and Rachelle, who was holding Elisabetta, and a _dottore_.

"An infant and two adults in one day." The _dottore_ was muttering, but he headed to Nika, who was the closer of the two. She lashed out at him immediately.

"See to him first. He was imprisoned longer." Nika snapped, and the _dottore_ did as he was told, wandering over to Ilario who looked about ready to pass out now that all the excitement was over. Nika felt she was not far behind.

"Nika, I am _so_ sorry. I did not want to leave you there, but my family-"

"I told you to go, Lukah. So stop worrying about it. I am safe now and you are too, so that is all that matters. And I see that little Elisabetta is fairing better. The illness did not spread?"

"No. You all are lucky too, it should have been treated far earlier. Had you called me in sooner I-" The _dottore_ started, but Rachelle cut him off.

"And how exactly were we to afford to do that? You blame people left and right for being foolish and not summoning you sooner, yet you expect outrageous sums of florins in order for us to use your services!" The woman glared at the black-clad man and he frowned, but said no more. Ilario's condition was not all that severe, mere exhaustion. He was ordered to rest for many days and drink a lot of water and to eat his fill. Nika was not so lucky. The _dottore_ cut away her breeches around the infected wound and took one look at it.

"Infected." He clucked his tongue and shook his head. "We might just have to cut it off." He had a curious tone to his voice.

"We are not cutting anything off. Drain it of the infection and bandage it." La Volpe ordered, before Nika had even opened her mouth. As the _dottore_ nodded and started giving Nika orders to switch places with Ilario, Nika glanced at her friends.

"Lukah, you and your family should be in bed." He needed no further instruction and ushered his wife out the door, throwing back a last look of gratitude to Nika before the door closed behind them. Nika's mentors and Teodora remained silent, and Ilario relaxed in the chair – it was the most comfortable thing he had been on in months other than the bed. The _dottore_ set out his tools and pushed a cup against Nika's lips.

"Drink. You will not want to be feeling anything in a few minutes." The _dottore_ instructed, and Nika complied. She drank three cups of the foul alcohol, but was thankful for the buzz it caused; the lightheadedness not so much. The sting of the _dottore_'s blade was at the far corner of her mind. A mere irritation once the wound on her calf began to itch and burn even more than before. She thrashed out, without meaning to, and kicked the _dottore_'s mask off his face. La Volpe and Ezio were instructed to hold her down.

Nika remembered smelling something bad, a different bad than the filth that covered Ilario and herself, a sick bad. She murmured to La Volpe about it, but he said some kind sounding words and she drifted off. She was not away for long, however. Once her leg was drained and bandaged, they removed La Volpe's cape and turned her over, in order to get to the wound on her back. This one only needed a brief cleaning and some bandages, as did the small cut on her cheek. Then, the bruises on her stomach were inspected, and the _dottore_ reckoned she had a broken rib or two, but short of 'taking it easy' there was nothing he could do to mend it, other than wrapping thick bandages around her torso that made it extremely difficult to move. Afterwards, the _dottore_ left, and it was only the purple-eyed man, the fox, the eagle and the rose that were left in the room with her.

The purple-eyed man dozed in the corner, seemingly oblivious to what was going on around him, but the rose was saying something to the fox and the eagle. The eagle fluttered his wings in irritation and the fox snarled, but the rose was insistent and soon the two settled down. The rose called out something, and a smaller, less pretty flower brought in a basin of water. It was handed over to the fox, who sat it aside and began divesting her of her breeches until she was only in her undergarments. The eagle squawked something, but the fox only grinned, showing off rows of pointy teeth, before he dipped a cloth into the basin and began rubbing it over her sore flesh.

It continued like this for a while, the fox washing her as he spoke with the eagle and the rose, but she could make no sense of what they were saying. The fox yipped and snarled, the eagle cawed and screeched, and the rose fluttered this way and that, gesturing with her elegant leaf-arms in order to make a point. The whole while, the purple-eyed man, who grew red ears and a bushy tail at one point, stayed in his corner of the room, dazedly watching the others consult one another around him. His eyes met hers at one point, and images of a large, dirty room that seared with heat flashed through her mind, even as she howled to be let free, to be able to run and never stop.

Sometimes they were not the eagle, the rose, the fox and the bushy-tailed-man. Sometimes, they were three men and a woman, but even during those instances, their speech made no sense to her.

Eventually, they left, the fox whispering something comforting, before he dragged the bushy-tailed-man out the room with him. Once all was silent, she fell into a deep sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Nika woke to a cool dark room and silence and it took her a moment to realize that she was no longer in prison. She lay in the comfortable bed, staring at the ceiling, until the door opened and light flooded in from the hall. Rachelle stepped in, her indigo skirts swishing around her bare feet as she turned to close the door behind her.

"I was right in thinking that you would look good in that color, when I bought that dress for you." Nika rasped. Rachelle gasped quietly and spun around, her eyes landing on Nika.

"You are awake! The _dottore_ said you would not wake for at least another couple days. You only slept the day through." Rachelle exclaimed, coming closer and setting on the bed beside Nika.

"Yeah, well I have never been one to sleep much when there are things that need to be done." Nika muttered, struggling to a sitting position. Her ribs twinged, but with Rachelle's help she managed to sit propped against some pillows.

"La Volpe and Ezio will be leaving in a few hours. You should bathe quickly and speak with them. Lukah says Ezio is planning to put you back in place of Novice, but Ilario, Melchiorre and Lukah have been arguing your case. La Volpe has been silent on the whole matter. He seems to dislike Ilario too. I do not know the entirety of what is going on, Nika, but everything is in shambles." Rachelle sounded worried and Nika sighed.

"What of the Guild?"

"Melchiorre managed, with Lukah's help, to scare off most of the Templars. We have control of the Guild for now, but not for long."

"This is all my fault. I should have been more careful." Nika rubbed at her temples and Rachelle's silence spoke more than her words ever could. As the silence thickened, Rachelle got up.

"I will have some water sent up so you can bathe. I will not tell the others you are awake just yet. Even though you are not the most modest of people, it is still wrong to have you traipsing about naked in front of La Volpe and Ezio." Rachelle had always disapproved of that, so Nika said nothing. Rachelle left and Nika was left in peace for nearly ten minutes, before a soft knock sounded on the door and two of Teodora's girls swept into the room with warm water. They dumped it in the bathtub, left a towel and some bathing supplies, before they left.

Nika struggled to her feet and slid off her underclothes, before she peeled the bandaging from around her torso. The ones on her leg and shoulder she left; they could be changed later.

The water was warm, and as much as Nika wanted to just sit there and soak, she felt she should not. Taking up soap and wash cloth, she scrubbed every inch of her skin until it was nearly raw, barely stopping to be careful with the areas around her wounds. Her hair she washed three times before she felt it was sufficiently clean. A few minutes later, she was finished and stepping out of the tub. She had barely wrapped the towel around her when the bedroom door flew open. La Volpe strode in, followed by Ezio. Behind the two, Ilario and Melchiorre stumbled along, protesting some such matter, but both were cut off when they saw Nika standing there in only a towel. The two younger men acted like fish out of water, before they blushed and diverted their eyes, each mumbling an apology. Ezio twitched, but otherwise did not react. La Volpe merely scowled.

"Well, good evening to you lot too." Nika greeted sarcastically, before wandering about her room in search of clothes and bandages. She found the latter in a drawer by her bed, and her clothes were still in her bag, but stashed inside the wardrobe. She could have been courteous to the three men who were uncomfortable with her current state, but she shrugged aside the thought. They were in her room. If they did not like it, they could just leave. She did turn her back to them though. Dropping the towel, she pulled on her underclothes. All the while, her guests remained silent. La Volpe was waiting until he had her full attention.

Nika sat on her bed and set about unwrapping the bandages on her calf. The wound was red and angry looking, swollen just the slightest bit, but it did not itch or burn anymore, so Nika figured that was a good sign. She found something to clean it with before she wrapped it in bandages. Then, she held out the bandages to La Volpe, silently asking if he would tend her shoulder for her. He did so, quickly, then helped Nika rewrap her ribs. Afterwards, Nika pulled on the rest of her clothes. A quick look in the mirror to ensure the small cut on her cheek was fine, then she pulled back her wet hair without brushing it out.

Finally, she turned to the others.

"What you did was reckless." Ezio started. La Volpe never started such conversations in that manner. He always knew that Nika knew she had done something wrong.

"I was helping a friend in need." Nika replied dryly.

"You compromised the mission! A mission I thought you could handle, but apparently I was wrong! You got yourself arrested and left Lukah and Melchiorre to retake the Guild themselves! Now, the Templars have been alerted to our presence here in Venice, we only have a matter of time before they try retaking the Guild and-"

"And you and La Volpe are tucking your tails between your legs and running back to Roma without resolving the problems here." Nika cut in.

"Nika, I taught you better than that." La Volpe frowned disapprovingly. "Ezio and I have more important matters. You will be the one to clean up your own mess. Now that you are under Ezio's employment, what he says matters most. Once you finish things here, you will return to Roma where you will resume your Novice rank. You will train as a normal recruit, so that Domenico is no longer being held back from his potential. You will cease to complain to Ezio about anything, and you will do as you are told. Is that understood?"

"Punish me all you want, La Volpe, but at least listen to what I have to say before you do." At La Volpe's nod, she continued. "Lukah's daughter had Scarlet Fever, but they did not recognize the symptoms. I did, because I had seen it once when I was a child. They needed the care of a better _dottore_, one they could not afford, so Lukah and I went pickpocketing to make money enough. I will admit, I was reckless as we pickpocketted. I should have been more careful. We were attacked by seven guards. I killed two and Lukah took out one of his own, but I was injured in the process. I distracted the guards so Lukah could get away and get the money to the _dottore_ so their daughter would not have to suffer the chances of dying. The guard captain. He…beat me...and then I was sent to the Piombi, where I met Ilario and his adoptive grandfather, Santiago. They had been there for months. Ilario told me of how a maid and her husband had taken care of him after ill fortune befell his father, Gilberto, and-"

"That is enough, Nika." La Volpe said sharply. A glance at Ilario and Nika saw what was going on. La Volpe was in some sort of denial. Twenty years of searching for his son and failing, only to suddenly have his 'daughter' find him in prison. It was a lot to take in, but it was unlike La Volpe to delude himself.

"No, La Volpe. He is your son and you know it! He has your eyes, he looks like you! You cannot deny it. I may have taken his place for the past six or so years, but I will never fully replace your own flesh and blood and I will not let you!" Nika cried, jabbing her finger at Ilario when she spoke of him. La Volpe's eyes narrowed, whereas Ezio's flicked back and forth between the three of them. He smartly remained quiet.

"It is not your place to tell me what-"

"Not my place? So I suppose these past few years have all been a lie and you have just been using me for your own needs. Like a dog." Nika spat. She knew her words were unfair, but she was angry with the man she had considered a father for so long.

"You know that is not true!" La Volpe raged, and Nika blinked a moment in surprise, but she recovered quickly.

"Then stop acting like this! You are not only punishing yourself for your failure, you are punishing him and you are punishing me! You did not find him because you did not think that maid would leave Italia, not when there was still a chance that you were alive. But she did! She left, and went to Spain, where she married a man and that man and his family took care of her and your child!" Here she paused. She approached La Volpe, who had resorted to pleading with her with his eyes. She was not going to quite down now, however. Gently placing her hands on his arms, she spoke much softer than she had been.

"And when the maid could have simply lied to Ilario, told him that she was his mother and they were his family, she told him all she knew about you and his mother. She told him your real name and what you were like. And when he came of age, even though she saw him as her own child, she let him go. She let him come here to Italia to search for you. And in his search, he uncovered the name La Volpe, and was arrested for being associated with you. Santiago was arrested with him, and died in that prison and now he does not know where the man he grew to call father is. He gave up one father for another. The most you could do is at least acknowledge him if you do not want to accept him." She held onto La Volpe even after she finished and they stared one another down, before the familiar twinkle of amusement came into La Volpe's unique eyes. He chuckled, short but deep, and pulled Nika to him for a hug. Nika hugged him back, and as she did, he reached out one hand and said,

"Come here, son." And soon, La Volpe had both his children wrapped in his arms for the first time in twenty years.

The Assassin, two assassin recruits, Master Thief, and thief's son remained in Nika's room for nearly two hours, discussing things over. Many arguments came up, but finally they all settled on an agreement.

"La Volpe and I will travel back to Roma. There is business there that we need to take care of. We were never here." Ezio looked pointedly at the inhabitants of the room before continuing. "Nika, you and Melchiorre will deal with the Templars threatening the Guild. Retake the Guild and be thorough this time. Ilario, since you proved that you are good at searching people out, though it was not completely successful, I want you to search for Sebastiano Trabocchi's wife and children. Do not take any action once you find them. Report back to either Nika, Melchiorre, or Teodora frequently. Understood?" As soon as he got an affirmative from the three of them,

"Good. Once he provides you with the information needed, you will proceed with the original mission. You have a week to finish. _Capisce_?" Obviously dismissed, Ilario and Melchiorre left. Nika had expected her mentors to leave as well, but they turned to her with similar expressions on their faces. Ezio was the one to speak.

"That guard captain, Nika. What did he do?" Ezio inquired. Nika felt her face drain of color and she schooled her expression into one of neutrality.

"It does not matter. It is done."

"Do not lie, _tesora_." La Volpe interjected.

"I do not..." Nika sighed and pushed the loose hair out of her face. "I would rather not speak of it."

"What he said was true then." Ezio stated firmly, even though Nika looked pleadingly at him. When he did not budge, Nika sighed and nodded slowly. Both men looked downright murderous. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

"After Lukah left, when they captured me…A couple guards held me in place while the Captain hit me. They called me a whore and street scum. The citizens had fled, scared of the violence as they are. They forced me on my knees and he…the captain…I…" Her breath shuddered out and she ran a hand through messy hair. A gentle hand landed on her shoulder and she expected it to be La Volpe, but when she opened her eyes, Ezio stood before her, giving her such a look that made her want to break down and cry. She didn't, but only barely and she figured the two of them noticed.

"It has been an emotional week for you. We will leave you be. There is much to be done. Rest tonight, and begin your mission early tomorrow morning." Ezio squeezed her shoulder once, before the two swept out of her room. It wasn't until the door closed firmly behind them, and their footsteps retreated, that she began to cry in earnest, curling into a small ball on her bed, despite the protest of her ribs. She cried, the first time in a very long time, until she couldn't cry anymore, and then she fell into sleep fit for the dead.

When she woke the next morning, Ezio and La Volpe were gone, having left no traces of ever being there, other than the occasional rumor. Nika washed her face and tended to her wounds. She dressed in her assassins robes and even put on boots. She ran a brush through her hair and braided it, its usual messy braid, and then she drew the hood up over her head. She met Melchiorre downstairs and the two left, before the sun rose and before the inhabitants of _La Rosa della Virtu_ were awake.

Melchiorre filled her in as they rode their horses at a leisurely pace across the city. He and Lukah had devised a plan to kill some of the Templars and confuse the others with false information. Then, planning it just right, they had infiltrated the Guild and took it over. But, the Templars merely fled because they had become outnumbered. They would be back, with reinforcements. The rest of the ride, Nika was silently planning and by the time they arrived at the Guild, she had a somewhat sketchy plan. She gestured to three thieves and they approached.

"I want the three of you to get me as much information as you can on the Templars. How many they are planning to bring out here, what they plan to do, the paths they plan to take, armor, weapons, anything. No piece of information is too small or inconsequential. _Capisce_?" She ordered. At their nod, she dismissed them and they disappeared in three directions. She turned to the few others milling about outside the Guild.

"The rest of you, prepare the Guild. Set it up to be defended. Stay alert though. More alert than you have ever been in your life. If someone is not part of the Guild, regard them suspiciously. I do not care if they are your mother, sister, or lover. If they are not part of the Guild, they can be a potential threat." She glared them all down, her dark eyes leaving no room for fun and games.

"If this does not pan out correctly, we will have to fight more than I intend. As you can see, I am injured and cannot fight to my full potential, which means the rest of you will have to fight. Some of you may die today, or tomorrow, or the day after. I suggest you square with that, and whatever god you worship." She watched as some shifted around uncomfortably, but others were unmoved by the threat of death. It took up too much of their lives to fear it. Once they settled down, she continued.

"I am not Ezio, the Grandmaster Assassin and savior of Italia. I am not the mysterious La Volpe, who evokes fear in the hearts of even the bravest of men. I was once a thief, like you, before Ezio recruited me, and even among his recruits, it is a struggle to raise through the ranks. Respect is not given idly." She hadn't realized the truth of this until she said it. She paused, surprised with herself, then finished her little speech,

"I cannot perform miracles, but I can promise that I will do everything within my power to see that this Guild is ours again and that those Templars think twice about messing with the Order." She spat 'Templars' like a curse, and although she did not get a loud cacophony of cheering, she did get nods and smiles of approval and the occasional murmur of acceptance.

"Spread the word." She dismissed them, and they scattered. Some went inside, others to the various places in the area that momentarily belonged to the Guild, all spreading the word. She just hoped they were smart about it and the information didn't fall into the wrong hands. It was a gamble she was willing to take though.

"What about us?" Melchiorre questioned, seeming to have no problem with the fact that Nika had just taken command.

"We keep a look out for traitors. Those not so tied up with the Guild and who are willing to sell information to the enemy."

"You think they would really do that?"

"They are thieves, Melchiorre. What loyalty they know is a thin line. They are not La Volpe s thieves. They are without a Guild leader at the moment, and though Lukah is going to take over, they have not known him long enough to feel any real loyalty to him. I am not saying they will all turn on us. Too many of them are only alive because of the Guild. But, there are those few." She studied the people around her as she spoke, before looking to Melchiorre. He was quiet a moment before nodding in understanding.

"They have no reason to trust us either, other than the fact that we represent Ezio." He murmured. Nika hummed in agreement. The next few hours were uneventful. They secured the Guild to the best of their abilities, stocking food and supplies inside in case things got drastic. Weapons were also stored in a variety of hiding spots. Every once in a while, one of her three spies would come back with information, but all of it was the small stuff. She found it unimportant, but she was pleased that they had done as she told them to. Lukah showed up an hour after the sun rose, and started exerting his authority, but none of what he ordered conflicted with Nika's plans, so she let him establish his position. Nika felt like they were expecting a war, and hoped fervently that it didn't come down to that.

Finally, information she could use reached her ears. The Templars had a small company of men, between sixty and seventy. Though small in number, it still outnumbered the amount of thieves she had, by at least ten. And most Templars were seasoned warriors. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, leaning away from the maps of Venice she had been studying with Melchiorre. He didn't comment. Nika couldn't help but wonder how Ezio and La Volpe had dealt with their positions all these years. One taste of leadership and she was already ready to shove her hidden blade up someones-

"I'm worried about how we are all going to fit. Surely it will come down to a battle in the courtyard. That will spill into the alleys and the streets where there is not enough room, and citizens will be caught in the crossfire." Melchiorre stated, frowning at the map.

"If we could just find out which streets they are going to use, or if they are going to use some sort of underground tunnel we do not know about, then we could pick them off, lessen their number." She mumbled in response. So far, however, no such information was available and already it was late afternoon.

"Ezio never said that we had to be discrete about taking over the Guild, did he?" Melchiorre said, suddenly straightening up in his chair.

"No. He said we had to be discrete about Sebastiano though, why?"

"Templars are warriors, _si_? They keep gunpowder for their pistols, _si_? And everyone keeps oil around somewhere for lamps, _si_?" Slowly, his features merged into a grin, amused that Nika was not catching on.

"Where are you going with this?" Nika asked in exasperation. Melchiorre grinned slyly.

"How opposed are you to being arrested again?" Nika rose as eyebrow at the excited expression on Melchiorre's face but allowed him to continue.

"So long as they don't put you in the _piombi_, and I doubt they will. They will shackle you and put you in a cage, use you as a lure for all of us. But, if just one of Teodora's girls can make a friend within the Templars, then perhaps we can make sure its easy for you to escape. Then, we will have at least one person on the inside to attack. You can set off the gunpowder inside while we attack from the outside."

"It is a harebrained plan, Melchiorre. That puts too many people in danger. Not to mention that we are placing trust in a Templar. What if he does not ensure my escape? The plan rests on the explosion. It's too flawed." Nika shook her head.

"Our problem is that we are trying to think like Ezio or La Volpe, when we are not them. We do not have their training or their experience. We have to get creative." He was excited. And he made a good point. Nika found herself nodding. Of course, some of her most successful plans when she had been La Volpe's protege had been the insane ones. He grinned even wider.

"So, we use one of Teodora's girls. They know more about the Templars in this area than anyone. They should know which one would be most willing to help. We send Teodora's girl, so as not to raise suspicion. She strikes up the deal, he will help you get loose inside your prison so that you can set the explosion. Meanwhile, the rest of us lay in wait around the area. The explosion will be our signal and that is when we strike."

"We must be careful, however." Nika started. "We must leave enough people here to watch the Guild, to keep it secured. We do not want to risk any Templars getting passed us without people here to protect Headquarters."

"That's spreading us a bit thin, is it not?" Melchiorre's excitement faded a bit, replaced by worry. "Who would lead them?"

"Lukah of course. He is to be the new Thief Leader of this city. We leave some of the more trusted thieves here with him. Just a few. Maybe we can get in contact with the mercenaries, see how much they would be willing to help us." They looked at each other and Nika knew the same doubts floated around their minds. But it was the best plan they had. They had to strike before the Templars did and if La Volpe and Ezio did not think that they could not do it, then they would not have left just the two of them here. The plan was risky, but the best they had. Nika summoned Lukah, Teodora, her three spies and five other thieves she felt she could trust. Once everyone was gathered, and the door to the study closed behind them securely, she began to speak.

"First, I must say that what I am about to tell you must not go passed these four walls. Not yet, anyway. Let the others precede with the current plans. It can serve as a diversion of sorts for the Templars. Once the first part of the plan it put in action, then we can start choosing who to tell and who to use." She looked between them all and made sure they were listening.

"Melchiorre came up with a strategy. It has many holes, and is risky, but I think we just might be able to pull it off. It is practically brilliant in its simplicity. I will be arrested again, and taken into the prison. Teodora, the key to this plans success rests on the shoulders of one of your girls." Nika spoke directly to Teodora. "Any girl of your choosing and any Templar of your choosing."

"Why a Templar?" Lukah questioned.

"Because," Melchiorre walked forward when Nika hesitated. His arms were crossed over his chest, the armor Ezio had provided him, similar to Nika's in make, served to make him look larger than he really was, but even still the boy toward over Lukah as if challenging him to question what he said next. "Teodora's girl has to buy the Templar traitor's loyalty, by any means necessary. Once this is done, the Templar will see to it that Nika is able to escape her chains to set off an explosion inside the prisons. It will be our signal to begin our rebellion."

"This is ridiculous! Not only are we putting trust in a Templar, but we are to trust a woman who was put in prison only days ago? Starting an explosion within the prisons is dangerous. What of the other prisoners? What if the fire spreads? You will be killing many innocent people. Is that not against the Creed?" One of the thieves spat.

"Peace, _amigo_. Nika and I have thought of this already. It will be a small explosion. Hardly enough to spread into another building. The Templars will gather around the prisons and no doubt put it out. It is the gathering of the Templars that we want. That way we can teach them that they do not mess with the brotherhood." Melchiorre purposefully did not address the other problems in question. Nika realized he had no answer to them. The thief turned to Lukah,

"You are just going to let them risk everything this way? Should they not go about this more stealthily? They are putting not only the thieves guild at risk, but the rest of the Brotherhood as well! The civilians will put things together, they will realize that the thieves guild took part in this. Do you think they will stand to have us within the city afterwards?" The thief spat. Nika sighed and met Lukah's gaze. The thief was right of course, but what other option did they have? Nika and Melchiorre were obviously not like La Volpe or Ezio. They could not pull off an elaborate plan like their mentors could. So what choose did they have?

"Nika, you have spent a great amount of your life under La Volpe's care. I have heard a great deal from the man about your skill. Perhaps you should take in account our worries. Once you are gone, we will have to fend for ourselves. We cannot appear to be a danger to the people. We are, after all, supposed to protect them." Teodora spoke for the first time, her voice soft and consoling.

"From the shadows." Nika murmured and nodded. She knew her duty, knew what the Brotherhood wanted of her, but she could not give it. Nika began pacing around the small room.

"The only other thing I can think of is to merely kill of the Templars one by one, which would make sense were there more assassins. Thieves are not made to kill. Yet, Ezio left only Melchiorre and I at your disposal. So, if any of you have a plan, now would be a good time to put it on the table." Nika stated. Everyone was silent for a moment, before Lukah spoke up.

"Nika, remember when yo

"Good. Then, I suggest we all get a good nights sleep. Tomorrow is going to be quite eventful." She left before they did, traveling back to La Rosa della Virtu and to her room there, all the while thinking over every possibility of tomorrows outcomes that she could, and she made sure that her back up plans had back up plans. Eventually, after making sure her weapons were in tip-top condition, she fell into a light, fitful sleep, still plagued by the foul taste of the Guard Captain on her tongue and unbearable heat.


	7. Chapter 7

Nika woke early, before the sun rose, her body coated in a cold sweat. She panted and tried to untangle herself from both the sheets and her hair. She was not sure what had woke her up exactly, so she pulled herself into a seated position in bed and looked around her room. Nobody was inside, but a series of knocking had her flinging the covers off and hastily pulling on a shirt and breeches. She hurried to the door and pulled it open to find Ilario on the other side.

"Ilario, I know we are a sort of newfound family but I completely disapprove of you waking me up this-"

"I found Mrs. Trabocchi and her daughters. I do not yet know where the son is, but I'm hoping he is not far. They are all still here in Venice, in any case." Ilario whispered to her quickly as he pushed passed her and into her room. She closed the door behind him and leaned against it. Her mind still felt a bit heavy with sleep, but it was clearing quickly enough. The room was dark since she had kept the heavy drapes drawn across the windows, keeping both the moonlight and any unwanted visitors out, but she could still see Ilario. His hair was windblown and his clothes dirtied. He looked like he had not slept in a while. She could not blame him. He had been in the _piombi_ longer than she had, and she still had nightmares about the place. Sleep would not come easily.

"_Bene_." Nika nodded to her brother, but he continued on, seemingly flummoxed by something. He paced about her room as he spoke, his soft-soled boots making small noises against the wooden floor.

"I just do not understand it, Nika. Should there be guards around the house?"

"La Volpe mentioned nothing about guards, and neither did Ezio."

"But - It...It just does not make any sense to me! This man, Sebastiano, has been tracking our father down for years because of an offense done to him and, even knowing who he is tracking down, he leaves his family unprotected? It does not seem right. I was expecting guards, or...or Templars, or rogues or _something_, but he has left his family completely unprotected!"

"Perhaps he has merely underestimated La Volpe, Ilario. It is no unheard of. Many people do it. I have seen them do it and I have heard of them doing it and La Volpe takes advantage of it like any good fighter does. It will simply be Sebastiano's mistake."

"_No_." He shook his head emphatically, still pacing and not looking at Nika. She noticed that growing up in Spain had given him a Spanish accent, and although he spoke Italian like a native, the Spanish accent grew more pronounced when he was angered. She blinked sleepily at her brother and raised an eyebrow.

"No?" She just did not see why he was so worried. If the Trabocchi's were unprotected, it made their job that much easier.

"I think it's a trap. I think Sebastiano purposefully went to Roma, because he knew father was there. Being in cahoots with Cesare is only a bonus that the two of them can gain from. An acquaintance of convenience. I tihnk he is purposefully drawing father out of hiding." He spun around suddenly and grasped Nika by the shoulders, giving her a small shake and looking her square in the eyes. "If we do this, _sorella_, if we bring _Signora_ Trabocchi and her children with us to Roma, we will be leading La Volpe and a great majority of the Order to their deaths."

"The Brotherhood has taken care of itself for centuries, Ilario. It's not going to suddenly collapse. I have faith in La Volpe. I trust his orders, even though I do not completely trust Ezio's."

"How can you? I know he is our father, Nika, but he is first and foremost a thief, and not just nay thief at that. He is _La Volpe_. You have heard the stories about him. He has robbed heavily guarded places without ever being seen. He has been seen in multiple places at once. He is said to be immortal." He whispered urgently and looked around quickly as if expecting to see La Volpe emerge from the shadows. Nika, personally, would not have put it passed the man. However, nobody appeared and Nika stared at her brother with a stoic expression.

"Ilario, how old are you?"

"What" Twenty-five." He answered without thinking, surprised by the abrupt change in conversation.

"Oh? I was under the impression you were ten. Immortal, really? I have seen La Volpe fight. I have seen him wounded and sick. He is as mortal as you and I. The rest are just silly rumors that housewives tell their children to get them to behave."

"What are rumors but stories with some truth to them?"

"La Volpe is skilled at what he does. Perhaps he was blessed by God himself, I do not know! But I trust him, as should you!"

"Because he is my father? Where was he when I needed him, Nika?" Ilario spat and pushed away from her. "He was in Roma, playing perfect little family with _you_ and Lukah and the rest of his thieves while _I_ was in Spain wondering every single day whether or not my father was still alive or if he wanted me at all!" Ilario gripped at his hair, nearly ripping it out and Nika frowned. Did the man have to have a breakdown _now_? She was going to be arrested in a few hours and escape to start a rebellion against the Templars so that they could retake the Guild and he chose _now_ to question his fathers trustworthiness? Nika supposed she understood, the man had gone twenty years wondering about his father and the fast few months searching for him, only to be arrested for "associating" with a wanted felon. But was now _really_ the appropriate time? She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"Ilario. I would trust La Volpe with my life. I have known him since I was sixteen – that's six years now, give or take – and when I first saw him, he was meeting with my father, no doubt for some information. My father like to hit me when he did not get his way and when I was clumsy or I did not act the part of a lady. La Volpe left and I did not see him for a while, but I fancied him at the time. I used to dream he would take me away from my father, ask permission to marry me so that I did not have to wed whom my father had planned for me. Some foul man who already had a wife or two and was the same age then as La Volpe is now.

"I did not want an arranged marriage to a man who would treat me worse than my father. And La Volpe never came, like he did in my dreams – only then, he was not La Volpe to me, he was the handsome man with purple eyes and a mysterious countenance – so I ran away. I lied on the streets for weeks. One day, I made the mistake of stealing from the wrong person and he caught me. He raped me and was going to kill me, only La Volpe stopped him. La Volpe was too late to save my innocence, but it was merely a physical innocence. By that time, I had seen far too much of humanity.

"He took me in, taught me, trained me to be a better thief and a better person. He raised me as his own. And even though my fancy for him grew, some subconscious part of me knew that I took the place of his lost child and he took the place of the father I never truly had. I was hurt when I heard him tell Teodora that I was a foolish girl and the he did not want me in the way I wanted him. So, I did what I did best then. I ran. But, running does not solve your problems, Ilario. Again, I was gone for weeks, and I found myself at my fathers house one night, moments after he was murdered. I had hated my father, but he was still my father, so I chased the murderer down. He almost got away, but La Volpe killed him.

"Had I not chased him down as I did, La Volpe's mark would have escaped. So, we did each other a service that night, and afterward, he was nothing more than a father and mentor and brother to me. I learned from him, and I believe some part of him learned from me. I trust him, with my life, because I owe him _so_ much. He is a good man and would do nothing to hurt those he loves. He trusted us with this assignment, because he knows we can get it done. He _trusts_ us to get it done. And I will get it done, with or without you." Nika waited, watched Ilario as he stood still in the middle of her room. He was breathing slowly and looking at her, assessing her to see if she was manipulating him or not.

"Then, if he's such a kind-hearted man, such a skilled thief, why did he not come for me when _I_ dreamed he would?" Ilario muttered. Nika laughed lightly, not at Ilario, but at the thought of La Volpe obeying other peoples' every whim.

"La Volpe is like a fox, for which he is named. He is sly and aloof and is not quick to trust. He is wild, he does not eat from the hands of people, he does not sit when told to like some common dog, he does not come when whistled for. La Volpe is his own person and lives by his own rules. He could not come to us because he could not take our free will from us, just as he would not want his taken from him. He gave us the choice. We both took it in our ways. You went in search of your father, and I ran away from mine. La Volpe found us both, and now we are his children. What more do you want? La Volpe will be kind and caring, if you give him the chance. But he will _never_ be like the nursemaid who coddled you. He will put you in danger, because he believes you are strong enough to get yourself out." They were silent a while, and Ilario nodded. Soon, they were just standing there, in a moderately awkward way. Finally, Nika broke the silence.

"We will proceed with the plans, but perhaps Lukah can spare a thief or two to go with us. Then, there will be five of us; two trained assassins, two thieves, and you – and I have seen that you have at least _some_ skill at swordplay – to escort the Trabocchi family back to Roma where we have orders to meet up with other assassins and to be briefed on the next stage of the assignment. I have no doubts that La Volpe is going to use Sebastiano's family to lure him into a trap. Perhaps they will die, and perhaps Sebastiano will die as well. Perhaps some of our people will die. Cesare will no doubt have people to aid Sebastiano. It will be brutal. Death is certain. Perhaps it is the only thing that is certain anymore." Again, Ilario nodded and they fell into another silence, this time broken by Ilario.

"So, how do you plan to escape from the prisons?" Ilario questioned hesitantly and Nika looked at him sharply.

"How do you know of our plan?"

"Melchiorre told me the basics. So, how do you plan on escaping? If we are not to fool a Templar, then how?" He looked at Nika in concern, no doubt remembering their time in the _piombi_ and Nika smiled slightly.

I have a few tricks up my sleeve." She held out her hand to Ilario and pulled the sleeve of her shirt up slightly to bare the skin at the side of her wrist, just an inch or so underneath her thumb. There, barely visible in the darkness, was a patch of skin that was raised slightly and a light pink, as if irritated. Ilario looked from her arm and to her face, shaking his head in confusion.

"I don't understand."

"Then I have nothing to explain." This confused him even more, but he shrugged and moved to head towards the door.

"I should go. I am keeping you awake and you need all the rest you can get. I should get back to watching the Trabocchi family." He opened the door and as he was leaving, Nika called out.

"Just do not get caught, Ilario. I do not think we can afford to rescue you. Once the plans are put into motion tomorrow, nobody is going to be able to take the time to save one person. You will be left to your own devices."

"Likewise." He murmured, before the door closed with a small click.

Nika didn't have to do much to be arrested the next day. Just a few well placed insults to the correct people and she found herself in a rather small cage, normally used for animals by the smell, not far into the building the Templars were using as their quarters. It also didn't take long to figure out where the gunpowder was stored. Most Templars were out on duty, only two were currently in the main part of the building. She was glad. Had they locked her in the prisons, she would have had to worry about freeing as many prisoners as she could, without being caught, and then setting the gunpowder on fire. But as it was…

"Sir, do you think it possible to get me some water? Just a little? I am parched." Nika inquired of the Templar who was charged with watching her. He was only a few years older than she was, closer to Ilario's age, but he was stern and glowered at her instead. Her attempts at trying to either get the Templar to leave or come close enough to her so that she could knock him out were not going so well.

She had been in her cage at least an hour, which was irritating her. Not only did she hate small places and being caged, she had to piss and she was worried that some poor thief who had not been informed of the new plan may have caught wind of her current predicament. If one had, she only hoped they did not try to rescue her.

She was running out of ideas quickly, short of just begging the Templar to take her. The only other plan she had was to sing, and she did not have the prettiest of singing voices. But, a plan was a plan. The song she chose was some song she had heard a street performer singing once, rude, crude and completely unlady like.

"Would you stop that squalling already, wench!" The Templar snarled and slammed the post of his axe against her cage. As much as she wanted to, she didn't cringe back away from the violence. Instead, she began singing louder. Finally, the Templar came up and grabbed her by her hood through the bars. They had already removed her weapons, but that was a small matter. With a quick movement the Templar did not have much time to register, Nika grabbed his head and twisted, the sickening crack of the mans neck snapping not fazing her the least bit. His hands loosened and fell from her tunic and she lowered the man to the ground quietly.

Her heart beat quickly in anticipation. Now she could set things in motion. She shoved up the sleeve of her tunic and shirt, and began picking at the scab on her arm. Blood began beading up once she did, but she ignored it and the stinging pain, choosing instead to push up on the skin, easing a thin piece of metal about two inches long from her arm. Once she successfully removed it, she wiped the metal and her hands off on her breeches and went to the lock on the cage. It didn't take her long to pick it, the metal sliding into the catch on her second try and she carefully maneuvered it until the lock made a satisfying _click. _She yanked the lock off the cage and stepped out, taking a moment to stretch her muscles.

She went to the Templar's body and patted him down, retrieving three throwing knives and a dagger. She didn't know where the Templars had put her weapons, and other than the hidden blade, she didn't particularly care. They were easily replaceable. She hid the knives on her person but kept the dagger out, creeping towards the room she knew the gunpowder was in, as well as the other Templar. She stuck to the shadows cast by the lanterns, putting her back to the wall and opening the door just the slightest bit. She craned her neck around to peer into the crack of the door, but could not immediately see the Templar she knew was in there. Deciding to risk it, she opened the door enough to slip inside and was immediately met with a blow to the face that knocked her to the wooden floor.

Blinding pain shot through her, and Nika gasped. Blood dripped into her eyes and she swiped at them in order to see, but was too slow in getting up. A foot connected with her side and she lost what balance she had regained. She hated Templars.

The next kick that was aimed at her side, Nika grabbed the mans foot and pulled as hard as she could. Not expecting this from the smaller woman, the man was caught by surprise and stumbled, but did not fall. It gave Nika enough time to get to her feet, dagger in hand. She ignored the blood in her eyes the best she could. It burned and obscured her vision, but she could not spare a moment to swipe at it again.

The Templar before her was large, and appeared more so due to the armor he wore. Unlike his dead friend in the other room, this one carried a broadsword. Nika eyed it warily and assessed the situation. The room they were in was not that large, but not that small either. She only had light leather armor, a few knives and a dagger. The man before her was larger, wore heavy plated armor and carried a broadsword. She could dance around him, tire him out and look for an opening in which she could kill the man, but it would cost her more time than if she just took him head on. To take him head on would cost her her life. Ezio and Domenico were tall, but neither were built like this man. She wasn't sure what to do, but before she could think much more on it, the man attacked.

She didn't bother trying to parry the attack with her dagger, nor was she going to take the fight out into the larger room to retrieve the axe from the dead Templars corpse. She couldn't use an axe to begin with and the larger space would only give the Templar before her more room to fight. Instead, she ducked under the sword, heart hammering in her chest as it _whooshed_ over her head. As she ducked, she dropped into a kick and knocked the mans feet out from under him before he could regain his balance from the missed swing.

The Templar crashed to the ground, but much like Ezio, he kept his grip on his sword, so when Nika attempted to strike at the man, he used it to protect him. Her dagger glanced off the strong steel of the broadsword and she quickly leapt backwards before the man could pin her down.

It went like that for a while, the two trading blows that did not make their mark. Nika wound up with a few bruises and she could hear the Templar beginning to breath heavily. He may be a seasoned fighter, but she was quick. In Nika's mind, they were evenly matched, just with different skill sets. The ex-thief ground her teeth together in frustration. La Volpe had warned her of this. She should have paid more attention to her lessons as an assassin. She should have been a better student. How could she have been so foolish?

Seeing that she was momentarily distracted, the Templar moved in and Nika barely dodged in time, earning a gash on her arm and her back pinned against a wooden pillar. She was running out of time. The powder needed to blow before the Templars caught onto their plans. The Guild needed to be retaken and she needed to get the Trabocchi family to Roma. What she did next was foolish, she knew, but she couldn't afford more time to be wasted.

Ducking under the Templar's arm, she made no move to attack him. Instead, she made for a barrel of gunpowder and drove her dagger into it as hard as she could. Once removed, black grainy powder spilled from the barrel. The hair on the nape of her neck prickled and she dodged again, but her wounded leg gave out on her and she crashed to the ground. A boot was pressed into her back before she could regain her footing and she could feel the cold bite of steel against the nape of her neck.

"What had you planned to accomplish?" The man growled. She didn't answer. Instead, she was insulting herself in her head. She should have trained more. She could have avoided the unnecessary wounds, the previous capture. Everything would have went smoothly had she not ruined the plans in the first place. The Templar put more pressure on her back and the tip of the sword caressed her neck.

She suppressed a shiver at the feeling, though it brought back memories of the times La Volpe would sneak into her rooms to see if she was properly alert, attack her and force her to think of ways to get out of complicated situations. This was exactly like that, only this time, her life really _was_ at stake, as well as the lives of many other people. _Think, you little shit. What would you do were it La Volpe?_ Distractions never worked on La Volpe. He always saw through them. But, perhaps it was because he knew her so well. It was worth a try anyway.

At the next bit of pressure added to the boot in her lower back, she let out a whimper of pain.

"You killed my friend in there you know. I should kill you for that. For attempting to kill me. For escaping." The sword continued to caress her skin and Nika bit her lip, trying her hardest to force herself to cry. It almost didn't work, but she finally managed to get a sob out and tears to streak down her face. The Templar tsked at her.

"Now, what's this? Beautiful little girls shouldn't cry. It ruins their pretty little faces." The sword flicked some loose hair away from her face so that the Templar could see it better. What Nika saw in the mans eyes stirred real fear in her for the first time since their encounter. It was the same look in the baker's eyes six years ago, and the same look in the Guard Captains eyes days ago. It sickened her and frightened her all at once. The next sob wasn't as hard to force out. She squirmed a bit, testing the man, but the pressure didn't let up.

"Please," she whimpered. "Let me go. I didn't mean to kill him. I was scared. I just wanted to leave. I want to go _home_." More tears and another sob. The look didn't change. Instead, the man knelt, straddling her thighs and keeping the sword trained on her until he could reach her dagger, which he put at her neck and laid aside his sword.

"You should have thought of that before hand, now shouldn't have you, little _assassina_." He whispered into her ear. Nika froze. The Templar chuckled.

"You honestly didn't think I'd fall for your little ruse, now did I? Did you think any of us would? We knew of your plans before you even left Roma."

"I don't know what you are talking about." Nika whispered, giving up on crying. Now the tears were just an irritation, though it had helped to wash away some of the blood. The man stroked her hair, even as he kept the blade pressed to her neck.

"Of course you don't." He crooned. "It's such a pity that the foolish young have to be drawn into such age old disputes, is it not? They should be allowed to live their lives, free from all the death and pain of battles." His hand wandered down to her face and traced a high cheekbone. Nika flinched away from him and he laughed.

"It's a shame that I will have to kill you, but revenge is revenge. I wonder, has he noticed how his plans have failed him yet? Has he noticed that I have not been in Roma for weeks?" He leaned in closed to whisper in her ear again, taking a moment to press a kiss to her jaw before saying, "Has La Volpe noticed that my plan all along was to show him the pain of loosing a loved one in the same manner he showed me?" Nika wanted to scream. She wanted to cry and she wanted to rip this man to pieces. She hated how he made her feel like she was sixteen again, terrified of a mans touch and wishing for the comfort La Volpe brought her.

"Who are you?" She bit out. The man seemed to mull the question over for a minute, as if he had expected a different answer from her. Instead of answering the question, he merely asked one of his own.

"Tell me, Vittoria Capello, how is La Volpe these days? Better than my cousin, perhaps?" he laughed when her eyes widened. Nobody had called her that in six years. Not even La Volpe. Instead, he had chosen to give her a new name. Just Nika. No family name. Both meant the same. Victory. Only Nika was the bringer of victory and Vittoria was the conqueror. She liked Nika better. Preferred it, even. Vittoria had died with her father, with her father's assassin. At the thought, her eyes narrowed.

"Who are you?" She hissed, demanding an answer. The man laughed; tilted his head back and let out an uproarious laughter that resounded deep in Nika's bones and made her quiver. When he finished, he addressed her once more.

"_Tessora_ – that's what he calls you, isn't it? Treasure. Well, _tessora_, I think you already know the answer to your question, so you tell me. Who. Am. I?" He pressed the blade into her neck harder and she felt it bite into her skin.

"Your cousin, he was the man who murdered my father. The man I hunted down and the man La Volpe killed." Nika muttered. The Templar tilted his head and nodded.

"_Si._"

"You are the man that has been hunting down La Volpe. Sebastiano Trabocchi." The reality of the situation hit Nika harder once she said it. Sebastiano Trabocchi was not in Roma, as La Volpe had thought. He was here, in Venice, about to kill her so that he could get his revenge six years overdue. Nika closed her eyes when the breath was back at her ear.

"_Molto bene, tesora_. La Volpe's protégé really does live up to my expectations. You are clever, your skills at fighting are beyond what I thought they would be, though they are lacking. Your acting may have even fooled another man, but not me."

"If you are going to kill me, then get it over with. Stop making useless speeches." Nika spat, tired of the man already. Again, he laughed, but not as deeply.

"No, I'm not going to kill you. Not yet. I am positive that if La Volpe has not figured out his mistake yet, then he will soon." He took up stroking her hair again. "No, Vittoria, I want him to look you in the eyes as I destroy the one thing that means the world to him." And with Sebastiano's words ringing in her ears, the world exploded into a plethora of noise and color.


	8. Chapter 8

Nika cringed at the heat, and at first, she thought that barrels behind her had managed to blow, until she realized the explosions were coming from the main room. Two more explosions resounded after the initial first one and she only vaguely realized that Sebastiano was shielding her body with his - whether or not it was intentional was beyond her. Fire began licking at the doorway she had emerged from only a few minutes earlier, the heat from the flames teasing her skin. She only vaguely realized that the door was missing and that there were pieces of wood scattered all over the place. To say she was confused was an understatement.

Sebastiano didn't move, nor did he speak, even when she got her arms and knees under her and pushed up with all her might. The man was heavy, but she managed to squirm out from under him. She needed to get out of the room. It wouldn't be long before the flames reached the barrels of gunpowder behind her and she didn't want to be anywhere near them when that time came. As she was stumbling to her feet, a strong hand wrapped itself around her leg and pulled. With a yelp, Nika crashed back to the floor, narrowly missing a sharp piece of debris.

"I am not finished with you yet." Sebastiano rasped, slowly regaining his senses. Nika kicked out at him and the man cursed, letting go of her ankle to protect his head from the assault. Nika limped towards the door. She needed to get to an exit and this room had no windows, no other escape than the way she came in. She eyed the door wearily. She could jump swiftly through the fire, but she would chance her clothes and hair catching. Just as she was preparing to leap through it, she was tackled from behind and the choice was taken from her. The world exploded into heat once more and she was very aware of the fire licking at her skin and clothes and at the bite of the rapidly warming metal of Sebastiano's armor.

Then, they were crashing to the debris-covered floor in the main room, pieces of wood and nails cutting into her skin. She went with the fall, rolling, and soon she and the Templar were tumbling one over the other, both fighting for their respective lives. Irritatingly, Nika didn't want to kill Sebastiano at that particular moment, though his death would be a bonus. She wanted to escape, her flight instinct kicking in rather strongly and only progressively growing the longer they were in the burning building.

The ebony haired woman did not even care how the building had blown, since she had not been the one to ignite the gunpowder. She hoped that Lukah and the others were managing well, though.

A meaty fist slammed into her stomach in two rapid blows, effectively knocking what wind was left in her lungs out and she gasped, choking and sputtering, but her lungs filled with smoke instead of air. Her eyes burned and her head swam. When Sebastiano tossed her over her shoulder, it wasn't because she didn't want to fight anymore, it was because she _couldn't_. She hung limply as the man quickly maneuvered his way out of the building, smoke thick all around them.

It wasn't until the next explosion went off that she realized they were near water, because the force of it sent her and Sebastiano flying through the air. The sudden shock of cold caused Nika to gasp, and her smoke-filled lungs became water filled. The water roiled, spinning her head over heal and over Sebastiano a few times as well. Debris lanced through the water like spears aiming for fish. The one time Nika managed to break surface and cough up water, something struck her in the head. The world erupted into a bright white light, much different from the exploding gunpowder, and for a moment she could hear her erratic heart beat, before everything faded to black.

She couldn't have been out more than a few seconds. When she came to, she was coughing up the entirety of the channel and both her lungs as well. Callused hands grabbed her face and turned it to the side and the simple movement of her head made her more aware of her body than she wanted to be. Everything either hurt or ached something awful. Her eyes burned, places on her arms and legs throbbed, and her lungs felt like needles were stabbing into them but her head was the worst pain of all. Sometime during her coughing fit, she was sure she vomited up the water she had swallowed as well. It hurt. Now her throat burned too.

When liquids ceased coming out of her nose and mouth, she slowly became aware of the hands on her. Somebody was holding back her hair while somebody else was holding her up, smacking her back to make sure she purged her body of what didn't belong. Her first thoughts were of Sebastiano and without thinking further, she brought her elbow back and it collided with something that made a satisfying _crack_. The hands holding her up disappeared and a man cried out in shock and pain, but the hands holding back her hair slid down to her shoulders. She began twisting and thrashing, barely aware of the animalistic noises leaving her throat and the occasional 'no'.

"_Calmare, tesora_." Tesora. Treasure._ Tesora -that's what he calls you isn't it?_ The mocking smirk, the lust in his eyes. The heavily armored body pinning her down. _Molto bene, tesora._

"Nika, calm down. It is La Volpe, _tesora. Calma-_"

"_No!_" The scream finally broke through her throat and she broke free of the hands, hands that perhaps let her go when they realized she would not be held still. Once free, she scrambled away on her hands and knees before making it to her feet and spinning around to face her attackers, crouched low and ready to spring at any moment, teeth bared viscously, a throwing knife in each hand.

Two men stood there, dressed similarly, although one was dressed in browns and an abhorred yellow whereas the other was dressed in white and red. Both wore hoods, though Nika could make out blood pouring from the white-clad mans nose, who was also dripping water onto the ground just as assuredly as she was. Neither had drawn their weapons, even though Nika was ready to attack at any moment.

"Nika, listen to me. There is much to explain." The older man, the one in brown, was talking to her. He knew her name and spoke it with a familiarity that startled her. Her eyes narrowed and she focused her attention on the one speaking. "You need to calm down. Many of the Templars are dead, but Sebastiano got away. Lukah can retake his Guild now, but we must get out of the city before it's too late. Do you understand? Ilario is already gathering your things. We need to meet up with him. Come on."

"Who are you?" She hissed. She felt she should know him. His voice was familiar, the manner he spoke to her was too. But she couldn't place where she knew him from. Sebastiano's name was familiar. She could still feel the ghost of his breath on her skin, the bite of the dagger and the mocking laughter.

"_Cazzo_. Now is not the time to play games, _Lupa_. We need to leave!" the one in white ordered, going so far as to take a step towards her. Before she could react, the older man held his arm out to block the one in white.

"Wait, Ezio. Something is not right." the one in brown moved slowly, raising his hands up and lowering his hood. "Do you remember me, Nika?" Dark olive skin, tanned from years in the sun. Crows feet in the corner of eyes that were such an odd shade of brown they were nearly purple. Dark brown hair cropped short to his head. She shook her head slowly, though she felt her answer was not quite right. There was something about those eyes.

"My name is La Volpe. I took you in after your father's murder and raised you as my own. You were a thief in Roma, until I sent you to study under Ezio Auditore d'Firenze as an assassin. This," he gesture to the man in white. "Is Ezio. He is your Mentor, your Grand Master. He has been training you these past months to became an assassin. You once said to me you were going to try to draw his mind away from work for an evening. Do you remember that, _tesora_?" Tesora.

"Don't call me that!" She spat. La Volpe raised his eyebrow in question, a familiar gestured that jarred something in her memory, but when she tried to grasp at it, it was just out of reach. If only her head would stop hurting so that she could think clearly.

"I have called you that for years, Nika."

"It is what _he _called me." She muttered, taking her eyes off the men to look around for Sebastiano. She did not find him, but she did see a burning building down the way, across the water. The smoke rose heavily into the sky and ash rained down.

"You mean Sebastiano?" Ezio asked, but she didn't answer. The smoke. Her fight with Sebastiano. The assignment. The Guild. Lukah. Ezio. La Volpe. She whipped her head around so fast it almost caused her to puke, and even as she doubled over in pain, clutching at her head, she gasped, dropping the knives.

"La Volpe." It sounded pathetic, but once the arms were around her and the familiar sent of La Volpe engulfed her, everything snapped together with a startling clarity.

"Very good, Nika. I know you are in pain right now and I know you want to sleep, but we must get out of the city." La Volpe helped her to stand and swung her arm over his shoulder.

"What about Trabocchi's family?" She panted as La Volpe helped her walk. Her eyes flicked ahead to Ezio, briefly noting that the man was keeping an eye out. She was thankful for that, because she wasn't sure she was able to fight any more. Maybe she could lie on the ground and trip her mentors' opponents? Even though the assassin was on guard, he was still paying attention to Nika, because it was he who answered.

"Melchiorre and Domenico are escorting them back to Roma, with a few new recruits I've gained since you left and some of Bartolomeo's men. With luck, our movement here will be enough to keep any large number of Templars, or Sebastiano himself, from going after them. If not, they should be able to hold their own until we rejoin them in a few days."

"Domenico is back from his mission then?"

"As are Vincenzo and Elletra. They, however, are keeping an eye on things back home." At Ezio's mention of the Headquarters in Roma being home, Nika scoffed.

"What about casualties?" she rasped.

"Surprisingly, your harebrained strategy was moderately successful. You delayed the Templars, destroyed their barracks, and managed to kill enough of them and scare away the rest. Our casualties were slim to none." Ezio informed. Nika let out a weak, irritated laugh.

"Funny how you leave both Melchiorre and I in charge, and yet it's immediately _my_ harebrained plan."

"I meant it as a compliment, _cucciola mia_." Ezio sighed. Nika wrinkled her nose at the pet name, but she supposed it was a step up from _Signora Lupa_. She was never sure whether or not the man was insulting her when he called her that. They weren't silent for long, before Ezio continued.

"Besides, I've known both you and Melchiorre long enough to figure out who makes the crazy plans and who makes the sane ones. You, _cara_, are far from sane. You did steal from _the_ assassin of Italia after all."

"Tch, and I'm paying dearly for it, _caro_." She sneered the endearment, and La Volpe sighed.

"Honestly, I don't know if you two banter like a married couple, or like siblings. Either way it is getting on my nerves." Ashamed, the two fell silent until they came upon three horses and Ilario, who looked like he was about to jump out of his skin at the slightest of noises. The horses were already saddled and ready to go. Ilario greeted them briefly, before mounting a dun colored horse.

"Why only three horses?" Nika inquired as La Volpe helped her atop a blue roan horse, before mounting a dark bay.

"Because, Nika, you are in no condition to be riding alone. Your leg wound has reopened, on top of the new wounds. Those blows to your head worry me and I would prefer you not ride alone." La Volpe answered, guiding his horse around.

"But that means-" Nika started, but didn't finish her sentence as Ezio sprung up on the horse behind her.

"You're stuck with me for a few days." Ezio's amusement was clear in his voice and Nika sighed. Of course. She didn't bother asking why she couldn't ride with La Volpe. The man had a wide personal space. Warmth enveloped her and it took her a moment to realize that Ezio had settled a blanket around her shoulders before he too swung his horse around and guided it after La Volpe, Ilario taking up the rear.

She must have fallen asleep, because the next thing she was aware of was looking up at a clear night sky, the moon hovering over her head as the stars kept it company. She felt groggy, her body heavy, and her throat and mouth were screaming at her for water. She tried moving her arms, but her muscles barely flexed. The one time she did manage to move one, it plopped back on the ground inches from where it had been.

"Nika?" She managed to turn her head towards the voice and saw an expanse of dirt and grass beyond her pallet, the embers of a fire, and then Ezio merging out of the darkness. The movement had caused a minor ache in her head and her neck, and she couldn't bring herself to respond properly so she just let out a quiet groan.

"We were worried. You fell asleep after taking a blow to the head. You might not have woken up." The assassin whispered, pulling a water flask off his belt. He unscrewed the lid and carefully lifted Nika's head before pressing it to her lips. The cool water trickled passed her lips slowly, but Ezio let her drink her fill then lay her back down just as gently and closed the flask before he set it aside. The water settled in her stomach and felt cold, but the relief from her thirst was immediate. She studied Ezio as he knelt there, studying her in return. His hood was up, hiding his face in shadow, but she could feel his eyes on her. His clothes were a bit tattered and she could see some discoloration on his robes that she took for bloodstains. Some of it was his.

"Sorry about your nose." She muttered and closed her eyes, letting a small smile play on her lips at the memory. Ezio chuckled.

"If I had a florin for every time my nose has been broken, I would never have to worry about picking pockets again."

"I thought that was what I was for." Nika remarked jokingly.

"Oh, so you are willing to share your coin?" By the tone of his voice, Nika imagined him raising an eyebrow inquiringly. She huffed out a laugh of her own that was short lived when it made her body ache.

"Perhaps not." She huffed in amusement.

"That is what I thought." There was a few seconds of silence, before Ezio continued talking.

"You are not injured too badly. Some scrapes and bruises. La Volpe had to remove the old stitching from your leg and suture it again. There was a cut on your arm that we bandaged, and your head is bandaged as well. Overall, La Volpe believes you should take it easy for a while and give your wounds time to heal. I agree with him." Once he was finished, Nika sighed. Of course, she would be bed ridden. Right now, she wasn't inclined to complain, but she knew by tomorrow or the day after, she would hate it. She was glad they were traveling back to headquarters. There was only so much resting she could do. Ezio had obviously been expecting her to argue, but when she only offered a nod, he asked a question.

"What happened, with Sebastiano?" There was something dark in his voice, and Nika had no doubt he was remembering what she had told him about the Guard Captain. It was somewhat surprising when it hit her, the realization that although she had been under Ezio's care for less than a year, he was protective of her. She wanted to believe that it was because she was so close to La Volpe, but the thought just didn't suit the assassin.

"I suppose that you know part of my plan was to be locked up. I annoyed my guard and knocked him out, picked the lock and went to a room leading off the one I was in. I had thought I had been careful enough, but when I slipped in, Sebastiano hit me. Of course, at the time I did not know it was him. We fought a bit, and I was doing well at first, but the stitching on my leg ripped and I had blood in my eyes from when he hit me. I do not know how long we fought, all I cared about was finishing him off so I could blow the powder and get out of there.

"But, after a while, I didn't even care about getting out, just blowing the powder to signal the others so that they could finish the assignment. I could not even manage that though. He overpowered me and pinned me to the ground. Started talking to me. The reason he is after La Volpe, is that La Volpe killed a relative of his – the man who killed my father. I know, though, that was not the reason La Volpe killed the man. They already had bad blood between them.

"Sebastiano kept calling me _tesora_, kept talking about how he was going to kill me because I was the only thing La Volpe cared for. He was about to kill me when there was an explosion. I do not know if somebody else got to the powder or what. He blocked me from the fire and the debris, whether intentionally or not and his armor protected him, but he was stunned for a while. I managed to get back into the main room and was trying to get out of there, but he tackled me. Threw me over his shoulder. He got a few feet from the door before there was a larger explosion – and I figure that was the powder I was trying to ignite previously – and we were thrown into the river. I broke surface once, but something hit my head and I lost consciousness."

"La Volpe caused the explosion right outside the door of where you were. Had we known that was where you were at, we would have made sure to get you out first." Ezio sounded apologetic, but Nika knew it was only because she had gotten hurt and not because they had made their own plans.

"Why were you there anyway? You were supposed to be in Roma." Nika accused. It hurt, thinking that Ezio still did not trust her with a mission, but with his next words, the hurt went away.

"We had almost arrived back to Roma, when we heard news that Sebastiano was in Venice. He was not supposed to be. He was supposed to be with Cesare. I insisted that we keep going back to Roma, that you would be able to take care of the mission, even if Sebastiano was there. La Volpe disagreed and we came back. I am glad we did. I would have lost two magnificent assassins and Lukah would have lost many thieves." Ezio shifted about on the ground, but Nika was not one to press for more compliments. She was glad that Ezio thought that she and Melchiorre were capable, and some of the old irritation from her first months in Ezio's care abated.

"Thank you, Ezio. It means…a lot to know you think that I am capable." Nika offered him a smile and Ezio sighed rather tiredly.

"I never thought you were not capable of being an assassin, Nika. It does not take skill to kill people. It only takes motive, a drive to end the life of another. The skill lies in being able to do that without being detected, without being captured, and without leading your family and friends to harm.

"You came to me from La Volpe, a close friend of mine. I could not give you special treatment, else you would just become a larger target. The point was to get you away from La Volpe, so that you could not be used against him. Were someone to get word that I favored you as well…it would not have been good. You are an excellent assassin, and by treating you harshly, I have made you even better. You have learned lessons I do not think you would have learned otherwise and that will protect us all.

"My father, Giovanni Auditore – _possa sua animia riposare in __pace_ – was a skilled assassin, but even he made a mistake. Because of that, my _fratelli_ are dead, as is he. I followed his footsteps and sought to avenge their deaths. However, their murderer, Rodrigo Borgia, was killed by his own son, Cesare, before I could get to him."

"And now you fight to take Cesare's life." Nika concluded. La Volpe had already told her about Ezio's family, but it was different, hearing it from the man's own lips.

"Indeed. However, his death will have little to do with avenging my family's deaths. He is an evil man and his death is necessary." The assassin's words were heated and Nika glanced at the sleeping forms of Ilario and La Volpe that she could just make out in the darkness, before turning her eyes back on Ezio.

"There are no people who are purely good or purely evil, _mio mentore_. True, many seek to do evil deeds, but you must think from your enemies' perspective. I am not defending their actions, of course, and I am not saying that Cesare's death is wasteful. I just do not think that a person can be completely evil." Nika was expecting an argument from Ezio, but he shook his head and there was amusement in his voice when he said,

"La Volpe was right when you said you had a wisdom beyond your years."

"I have my moments." Nika said, before closing her eyes. She was getting sleepy enough that it was easy to ignore the slight growling in her stomach. There would be food in the morning. There was a slight pressure on her shoulder and Nika opened her eyes in time to see Ezio remove his hand and stand up. She watched him disappear back into the darkness, no doubt to keep watch over their campsite for the rest of the night.

The next morning was warm and Nika woke to the sound of the men packing up. She frowned and squinted her eyes in the morning light as she struggled to sit up.

"Ah! Look who is up! We were going to let you sleep until right before we left. Now you have time to eat before mounting!" Ilario exclaimed, grabbing some food they had left out for her. He handed over the bread and cheese and she sat on her pallet as she ate it, watching her family pack. She was startled when she thought it, but that is exactly what they had become to her. A surrogate family. Nika had never had any siblings, and was only ever close to La Volpe and Lukah while growing up with the thieves. But now, she had Ilario too, and Ezio. She couldn't afford to screw up any more missions. She had to protect her family. Swallowing the last bite of her light meal, she made to stand up.

"You should rest, we can pack the supplies and-"

"I am all right, Ilario. I can roll up my own blankets and put them on the horse. Concern yourself with your work, not mine." Nika gently admonished and her mentors laughed at the interaction between the two.

"You will not get far in your relationship with her if you treat her like the common lady." Ezio advised Ilario, clapping his hand on the young mans shoulder before fastening a pack to the horse's saddle.

"Nika is anything but a lady." La Volpe jested and Nika grinned.

"Who do I have to thank for that? I was well on my way to becoming one, and then you showed up, silent and mysterious. Now you have me working as an assassin. There is no time to be a lady." Nika returned, enjoying the banter.

"You could have stayed home. It was your choice to leave." La Volpe reminded her, but the corners of his mouth were twitching. Nika stretched, trying not to wince in pain when sore muscles throbbed and the minor cuts pulled. The assassin apprentice yawned and dropped her hands to her sides, before frowning at the stiffness of her clothes. That river hadn't been the cleanest, but she would have to wait until they got back to Roma to bathe.

It was silent for a few minutes as they finished packing. Nika knelt beside her pallet and rolled the blanket up in order to put it away. Just as she was finishing, La Volpe walked by and took it from her, before handing it over to Ezio to strap to the horse as well. Nika shook her head in amusement, before she limped over to the horse she and Ezio shared and mounted behind the assassin moments after Ezio had settled into the saddle. They had traveled for a few hours before Ilario got Nika's attention.

"How did you and my father meet, exactly?" He inquired, gesturing to La Volpe who was only a few paces ahead of where Ilario and Ezio were guiding their horses. Nika hesitated a moment before deciding there was no harm in telling him.

"I was sixteen and lived alone with my father. He was a businessman and had some decent connections. La Volpe was one of them. He came to visit my father one afternoon and I served them refreshments, as was my place. I took a fancy to La Volpe. He was different than the other men that usually visited my father. He also did not leer at me like the others. It was not long after La Volpe left, that I found out my father planned to marry me to a man a few years older than my father was – a man around La Volpe's current age. I was young and found it repulsive, believed I should marry a man I knew and cared about. So, I ran away and lived on the streets. Never caught sight of La Volpe for weeks. I took to stealing to keep myself alive, and stole from the wrong person. He caught me and dragged me into an alley, away from the crowds of people. He…did what he wished with me and was going to kill me, but La Volpe turned up and killed him. He took me back to his place and took care of me from that day. He trained me and I fell in love with him." At her admission, Ilario let out a guffaw of laughter and even Ezio chuckled. A quick glance to La Volpe and she realized, even though the man was ahead of them, he was no doubt listening to her story as well. Nika grinned herself and insisted,

"It's true. I was completely enamored with the man. He was good looking, only in his thirties. He was strong, and still very mysterious to me. I had heard all the rumors about him and he puzzled me, but I had always enjoyed solving puzzles."

"You enjoyed sticking your nose in matters that did not concern you." La Volpe called back and she nodded in agreement.

"True. Anyway, La Volpe was not always kind to me. He punished me just as often as he would the others, but I also spent more time around him. Others tried to get him to talk, but I was raised that a woman did not speak to a man unless first spoken to."

"I would never have noticed." Ezio muttered and Nika pinched his thigh through his breeches. He twitched, but she didn't get anymore of a reaction out of him.

"So, for the longest time I just followed La Volpe around, silent. After a while, it became a game, and a lesson, of following him without alerting him to my presence. We got to know one another and I became acquainted with a few of the courtesans. Teodora showed up one night at the Guild to ask for La Volpe's aid. I had always tried to make my infatuation seem like I was grateful for the mans help and that I was just eager to learn.

"Whether or not it worked on the others, I do no know, but Teodora saw through it. She brought it to La Volpe's attention when I was not in the room, but – as La Volpe has pointed out, I enjoy sticking my nose in matters that don't concern me – I eavesdropped on their conversation. La Volpe basically said that he was a busy man and had no time for my childish infatuation.

"I was hurt and I ran away. I was gone for a few weeks, and found myself back at my old home. I had been standing on the footsteps, contemplating whether or not I should wake my father up when I heard some noise inside the house and then my father screamed. It was muffled and did not last long. I picked the lock and ran inside, but by the time I got to my fathers room, he was dead and his murderer was fleeing through the window. I did not stop to think. I chased after him."

"Without any weapon?" Ilario gaped, surprised that a young girl would chase after such an obviously dangerous man.

"You do not need a weapon to kill someone." Nika drawled, before continuing. "It does not matter though. I was not the one to kill him. I chased him over the rooftops, and he was always just out of my reach. I finally managed to tackle him to the ground, slammed his head onto the rooftop in hopes of stunning him, but he twisted out of my grasp and drew a dagger. He cut my stomach and I had not been quite so used to being injured back then, so it surprised me and the man took the time to run."

"Why run? He could have killed you." Ilario asked.

"Because," La Volpe said, drawing everyone's eyes to him. "He was more interested in getting as far away as possible. He knew he had more to worry about than disposing of a child. I was on his tail after all. He did not get far after Nika took him down. She had slowed him down and distracted him long enough for me to make my move. I killed him and left."

"You did not even bother making sure she was okay!" Ilario exclaimed and Nika laughed.

"I followed him, as I always did, but it was that night that I was no longer in love with La Volpe. With the death of my father, I came to realize on the walk back to the Guild that La Volpe had become more of a father figure to me and I had mistaken my love for him as something deeper than it was. La Volpe saved me many times from a life I would not have wanted."

"Beside, I knew the _bambina_ was fine. I had been following her the entire time she was gone." La Volpe added and Nika stared at his back in surprise. That was the first she had heard of this. She never knew he had cared enough back then to keep an eye on her. As far as she had figured, back then she was just an annoyance to him that he kept around because he saw she would make a good thief in the future. Apparently, she was wrong. Her face slowly turned into one of happiness and she found herself laughing. Ilario grinned at her, pleased to see that their fathers admission had such an effect on her.

"_Ti voglio bene, papa._" Nika crooned and felt Ezio shake with silent laughter. Nobody expected La Volpe to reply, however.

"_Anche io ti voglio bene, tesora._" He replied gruffly, before urging his horse to go quicker. Nika was glad that his nickname for her no longer bothered her, since she had been quite fond of it before Sebastiano's use of the name. She smiled to herself and was glad to have La Volpe as a father.


	9. Chapter 9

They rejoined the others two days later, and Nika was surprised at the amount of people. The Trabocchi family was traveling inside of a carriage that was being steered by Melchiorre and someone she did not recognize. Six of Bartolomeo's men were there, along with four new recruit's – Nika could distinguish them from the others by their black recruit uniforms. Both of them ignored the stares they received as Ezio steered their horse passed the wagon and near the front of the line where she spotted Domenico's familiar crop of brown hair.

"_Signore_ Ezio. Nika." Domenico nodded, and for her benefit, he introduced the two other recruits that were keeping him company. "This is Luigi and Fiamma. Ezio recruited them while you were away." He did not mention 'while you were imprisoned' but the words hung between them anyway. Nika may have learned a bit of a lesson while she was away, but his words angered her. Before she could reply, Ezio spoke.

"Nika's plans in Venezia were successful. The Guild is being restored as we speak and Lukah will take charge there until La Volpe finds a man better suited to run it."

"If La Volpe finds a better man. Lukah is a good thief. Has been with La Volpe for a long while and is among his most trusted. I doubt he will be replaced."

"He is soft-hearted, Nika, and does not have the correct combat skills." was Ezio's reply. After three days of traveling with one another, whatever temporary peace the two had managed to find a few nights ago was gone. They were slowly driving each other insane. Not to mention, the constant traveling was jarring Nika's injuries.

"He can be taught." Were her only words, and Ezio didn't press his point, for which she was grateful. Already, the two new recruits were giving her odd looks for arguing with the man they worked under.

"And our target?" Domenico inquired.

"Nika ran across Sebastiano, but he escaped." Ezio began, and Fiamma scoffed. The four of them turned to look at her and she blushed, her face nearly matching the color of her hair. "She was already injured, and was not allowed enough time to recover after being in the _piombi_ for over a week. Sebastiano would already have been a difficult opponent to overcome." Ezio supplied and Fiamma and Luigi both looked astonished. Domenico hissed softly at the mention of the prison, but said nothing. They fell silent for a time, the sounds of the carriage, hoof-beats, and the low murmur of conversation among the others floated up towards them.

"Domenico. I have you to thank for your vigilance in training Nika. I know it has not been easy, on either of you. Nika, you had a hard time putting aside your training as a thief, and Domenico, you have never had to train someone before. Because of your hard work, Nika was skilled enough to keep herself alive." Ezio commended, but kept his eyes on the road ahead. Nika smirked at Domenico's expression. The man stuttered a bit, at a loss for words, before bowing his head and thanking Ezio.

"Nika. I believe you are skilled enough to be a mercenario." Ezio continued, and before Nika could get too excited, he added, "However, with your new advancement to such a level comes more responsibility. You shall no longer be training with Domenico. Instead, you will continue your training with either Vincenzo or myself."

"But-" Nika tried to twist around in the saddle, but her wounds prevented her doing so. She hissed between her teeth as her bruised ribs protested. Ezio couldn't be serious. The only recruits Ezio had trained personally were Elletra, Domenico, and Vincenzo. Vincenzo had trained Melchiorre and Domenico had overseen most of her own training. Even now, Ezio made no mentioning of training any of the new recruits. Aside from that, Vincenzo had never shown any fondness towards her, and other than a hateful look here or there, had paid her no mind. She wasn't so sure she liked this new turn of events.

"Furthermore, you will be overseeing the training of one of the novices, perhaps Fammia. Should you run into any complications, or have any questions regarding Fammia's training, you will come to either Vincenzo or myself. Am I understood, Nika? I do not need any further troubles from you." Ezio was using his "assassin voice", the one he used when Brotherhood business was involved. He was Ezio the assassin now, not Ezio the man. She gave one curt nod of her head in understanding. After a few last words with Domenico, regarding the training of Luigi, Ezio let their horse fall back until he came level with the carriage. No words were spoken, but Ezio was obviously guarding the carriage. Nika felt safe enough, with La Volpe only a few paces ahead and plenty of armed men and the occasional women, that she began to get drowsy once more. Ever since her time in _piombi_, she had felt off. She was always tired and could not quite quench her thirst. As if sensing this, Ezio leaned down enough to whisper in her ear.

"Rest, _cucciola mia_. You are in safe company now. I will wake you when we reach Roma." Ezio's voice was soothing, and she wondered, not for the first time, what Ezio had been like before his family had been killed. For once, she did not argue with the man, and fell into a light slumber instead.

Roma was the same, and after weeks of being away, she was glad to finally be back. The normal bustle of the crowds milling around as they went about their day-to-day chores, the call of the venders. After they had reached the gates to the city, Ezio had told Melchiorre to escort Nika back to the Hideout. They both needed rest. He and La Volpe took care of the rest of the travelers. It had been a long, and mostly silent walk, only interrupted once when Melchiorre startled Nika when he told her how glad he was that she was okay. She could only offer him a weak smile in return.

Her rooms were just as barren as she remembered. A small bed with clean bedding – Elletra must have cleaned while Nika was away – and fresh water in both the wash basin and the copper tub awaited her upon her arrival. With a happy sigh, she pulled off her soiled clothes and slid into the luke-warm water. She did not bother washing at first, just soaked. Her muscles were sore and she was exhausted. She began to drift off when she heard the door open. The thief tensed, but relaxed when Elletra came into her line of sight.

"Shouldn't you be helping the others?" Nika inquired and Elletra shrugged, grabbing a wash cloth and the stool from the corner of the room. She settled beside the basin and lathered the rag up with a rose scented soap.

"I am sure that Ezio has plenty of help at the moment. I am more concerned about your well being." Elletra replied.

"I am fine." Nika snapped, but Elletra only smiled and began washing Nika. Layers of dirt, sweat and other grime was gently scrubbed off of every inch of Nika. Elletra only relented the rag when only Nika's privates were left, and the younger woman made quick work of cleaning herself. Her hair was also cared for carefully, before Nika stepped out of the tub. She dawned a robe, and sat patiently on the stool as Elletra brushed out her hair and put it into a tight braid.

"Let me see to your wounds and get you something light to eat, and then I will let you rest." The older woman commented, before leaving. Nika moved from the stool, to her bed. Elletra returned a short while later with a tray of food and medical supplies. While Nika snacked on bread, cheese and fruit and drank cool water to her stomach's content, Elletra cleaned, applied ointment, and bandaged the wounds on Nika's leg, shoulder, and head. She even went as far as to clean the nearly healed scratch on her cheek, the scabbed over cut on her side from her spar with Ezio, and applied a cool cream on the slight burns Nika had acquired during her imprisonment which had not heal entirely. Her ribs were also wrapped up tightly, after yet another cream was applied to them in order to help with the bruising, and then Elletra took the empty tray and left.

Nika's eyes drooped and she barely managed to shed her robe and climb under the covers, before she was sleeping once more.

Two and half weeks passed uneventfully. Nika spent most of her time about the town, watching people. She was back to novice missions, gathering information for the Brotherhood, but for once, it was her own choice. Her wounds were healing well. The minor cuts and scrapes were mere scabs now, the deeper wounds were pulled tight as the skin began stitching itself together once more, and her bruises were beginning to yellow around the edges. Thankfully, the bump on her head had disappeared. The missions were given to her by Machiavelli, however, as he allowed her time to heal. La Volpe and the thieves watched over the Trabocchi family who gave them little to no problems. While Nika was healing, Elletra had taken over Fianna's training for her, as well as her own student's. Nika did not mind. She found she and Fianna did not care much for one another. It definitely would make training interesting.

Other than Luigi and Fianna, there were two other recruits, Aria and Raffaele. Aria was Elletra's student and Raffaele was Melchiorre's. She was Vincenzo's. It was a queer thought. Vincenzo had not spoken one word to her; had not spoken to her at all since before she had left Roma over a month ago. Had it really been that long?

Nika sighed. She felt different. Older, perhaps, if a sort of apprehensive tiredness came with age. Domenico said she was different. That she was less arrogant. Perhaps she was. She knew now that there were others far more skilled than she. She also knew, however, that she had no trouble throwing away her life for her friends and family – for the Brotherhood even. It was an unsettling thought. When she was sixteen, she had wanted nothing more than to live her own life, away from restrictions. That's why she had left her father, left the bind of marriage he had tried to force her into.

Was being a part of the Brotherhood much different?

They _were_ fighting for a better cause. She knew that. But in the process, many people had to die. Many innocent people, even if it was not by the Brotherhood's hand. She was not naïve, however. She knew that there were mistakes. Sometimes an innocent life was taken unknowingly.

Ezio was gone. Only Machiavelli knew where he was, and he would not tell any of the recruits. Said it did not concern any of them. He had been gone nearly a week now. Part of Nika worried for him. He had become a friend to her, during the ride back to Roma. He had taken care of her during fevered dreams, so that La Volpe did not have to. It had been strange, even then. The savior of Italia tending after her, a nobody that just so happened to work with a few very important people. He had saved her too. Jumped into the canal after the explosion had knocked her into it. He had accompanied La Volpe to the _piombi_ and both had personally seen to her rescue, even though La Volpe could have handled it himself.

Suddenly, she was roughly knocked into and she glared at the man as he apologized to her. He kept his eyes downcast underneath his hood and seemed to hunch into himself. As if he did not want to be seen. He hurried away after a few stuttered apologies and Nika frowned to herself before turning back onto her path, her bare feet deftly avoiding a pile of horse shit in the middle of the road. She was stopped again, however as a few guards hurried past her, speaking quietly amongst themselves. Something was up, and if it involved the guards of Roma, it usually did not bode well for the Brotherhood. Glancing at the people around her quickly, she walked over to the nearest building and sprung up, ignoring the slight protest in her leg, shoulder and ribs as she caught hold of a window sill and pulled herself up to the roof. She heard a few surprised exclamations below her, but nobody bothered to get her down off the rooftops. Sometimes she was not so lucky and had rocks thrown at her.

She followed the guards, crouched down low along the rooftops. They moved with purpose through the crowds and the people parted for them nervously. If one was too slow, the guards would roughly shove them out of their way. It did not take her long to figure out what was wrong. Up ahead, the hooded man darted into an alley, no doubt thinking that it would help him loose the guards. She cursed his stupidity, reminded of her own mistakes before she had joined La Volpe's Guild.

The man must be new to the streets, if not the city. Perhaps he stole something. Perhaps he committed murder or some act of treason against the Borgia's. Whatever it was, the man definitely did not know how to be discreet on the streets. Roma was, after all, the main headquarters of the assassins in Italia. The guards knew what kind of suspicious behaviors to look for. Expected it. She would not be surprised if this poor man had been mistaken for an assassin. With a snort, she picked up her pace along the rooftops, heading for the edge of the alley that the man had disappeared into and the guards were heading towards. Protect the innocent. But not until she found out why they wanted the man first.

"Halt!" One of the guards commanded as she reached the edge of the roof, peering over it cautiously. The hooded man came to a sudden stop, but seemed to hunch into himself more as he looked around him, just beginning to realize his mistake. He had wandered away from people, away from witnesses and away from help. Not that many civilians of Roma would willingly go up against three guards. The guard who spoke grabbed the mans shoulder and spun him around to face the others.

"State your name and business here in Roma." The lead guard demanded. The others remained silent, content with watching their companion intimidate the poor man.

"M-Marco Bellomi. I am here looking for a friend of mine." The man kept his head bowed, even when the guard yanked the hood off his head. He had dirty-blonde hair that reached his shoulders and a short albeit scruffy beard. His face was pale underneath the dirt from traveling long days.

"He lies. He is Leonardo DaVinci. My sister commissioned a painting from him years ago." One of the other guards spoke up. She saw 'Marco' cease his nervous shifting and smirked to herself. Amateur. His stillness spoke of nervous anticipation, waiting to see if the leader would believe the other guard or not. Lucky for him, the leader turned to look at his companion and missed the shift.

"You are positive?" The leader inquired.

"Si. He is older now, and not dressed fashionably, but it is him." The guard nodded and the leader turned back to 'Marco'.

"_Per favore, Signore_. You must be mistaking me for someone else!" The man clasped his hands in front of his and shook them, pleading with the guards.

"So, you are saying you are not Leondardo DaVinci, friend to the _assassino_? You are sure that the _assassino_, Ezio Auditore, is not the friend you are looking for?" The leader sneered. It may have been because Nika had a flair for the dramatic, or perhaps it is because she did not miss the slight his of one of the guards drawing their sword, but she found herself hissing at the guards below him.

"No, I am the friend he seeks." And before the guard who had begun to draw his sword had much more time to react, she was upon him, leaping from the building and relishing in the almost inaudible _snick_ of her hidden blade appearing. The blade went through the guards neck and down. She withdrew it and whirled around to face the other guards who had drawn their swords. She did not wear her assassin robes, never wore them unless she was on certain missions, but she had taken to keeping her weapons hidden on her person.

She drew her dagger and faced the guards, successfully drawing their attention from 'Marco' for the time being. The leader stayed back, but his companion lunged and Nika parried easily, before she smacked him across the face with the hilt of her dagger. She understood why they had hung back and let their leader take care of the hooded man. They were new to guard duty. She kicked the guard while he was down, before the leader was there in a flurry of attacks.

The leader managed to smack the dagger out of her hand and grabbed a hold of her shirt, but she kneed him in the groin and he dropped to his knees with a groan. She yanked his head back by his hair and cut his throat with the hidden blade. Blood poured out of the wound and got on her shirt sleeve. She ignored it and took care of the stunned man still lying on the ground in a similar fashion, before wiping her blade on the dead guards clothes. Collecting her dagger, she turned to the man at last. He stood there, brilliant blue eyes watching her with caution.

"I'm not going to hurt you." she said at last, breaking the silence that had fallen between them. He offered her a small smile and retorted.

"Forgive me for distrusting you, _donna pericolosa_, but these are perilous times." He did not stutter this time. Instead, his voice was strong and sure; Nika tilted her head and returned his small smile with interest.

"Is what the guard said true? Are you Leondardo DaVinci? Friend of Ezio?" she gestured vaguely at the guard when he was mentioned, but neither took their eyes off the other.

"And if it is not? Will you cut my throat as you did theirs?" He was defensive, scared of her but too proud to show it. Or, perhaps, too used to such scenes as this to allow it to bother him.

"I assure your safety. You will not die today, by my hands or by my word. I would go as far as to offer you my protection, were it true that you were a friend of Ezio's." Risky words, but one of them had to make the leap. She was awarded with another small smile and a bow of the mans head.

"I am Leonardo DaVinci." Was all he said. All he needed to say. Perhaps he did not know, but she remembered a time a few weeks ago, when Ezio had her suspended in the air with a parachute and told her of a friend of his by that name.

"The inventor of 'parachutes', I take it?" A true grin broke out on her face at his surprised expression. She could see the question in his eyes. "I ran into a bit of trouble back in Venezia. Ezio rescued me and he used parachutes as a means of our escape. Told me of a very dear friend of his who was the inventor of such an...intriguing contraption."

"Is this how you met Ezio?" The man inquired and Nika shook her head.

"Come, we should leave this place before more guards show up." She gestured for him to follow her the rest of the way down the alley and they took to the streets once more. He fell into step beside her and she answered his question.

"I met Ezio a few months ago when I stole from him." She leaped over a puddle and Leondardo spared her bare feet a curious glance before he chuckled.

"You stole from an assassin?"

"Apparently not just any assassin. It was that very same day, later in the evening, when my mentor came to me, Ezio not far behind. Before I knew it, I was no longer with the guild and was being trained as an assassin."

"You are lucky he did not kill you." was the reply and it was Nika's turn to laugh.

"I think I interested him. When I knew I had been caught, I ran and he took chase. I ran through the streets, over rooftops, we both evaded guards. I threw stuff in his path in hopes to slow him. We are decently matched runners, but I knew that he could have caught me if he wanted, a thrown knife in my back perhaps? However, he did not. And I jumped into the Tiber." She smiled at the memory.

"How does our mutual friend fare these days?"

"Lively as ever I suppose. Running himself into the ground trying to make his ancestors proud. He needs to rest, but cannot afford it. Too much is at stake. Italia needs us now more than ever. Nay, the world needs us." She nodded with conviction but did not miss the sad smile that crossed Leonardo's features. She held her tongue though, and left the man to his thoughts.

"I knew Ezio when he was a young man." Leonardo stated almost wistfully, but he said no more and made no attempts to elaborate. Something tugged at the back of Nika's mind, but she could not grasp what it was and eventually left it alone.

"Ezio is not in Roma right now. I do not know how long he will be gone either, but you are more than welcome to come talk to Machiavelli if it is needed."

"He is not here?" There was some distress in his tone and Nika looked at him with a raised brow.

"Not presently."

"And Machiavelli has taken charge of the headquarters?"

"Si. He gives us missions, though only Vincenzo has been on any important ones. The rest of us are busy training the novices. Mostly."

"How many of you are there?" Leonardo inquired and Nika shrugged.

"In the Brotherhood? I have no idea. At the headquarters here, there are eleven assassins if you include Ezio, Machiavelli and myself. I do not know how many courtesans and I never bothered to keep track of how many thieves my mentor employs." She said this quietly, keeping it away from prying ears the best she could. Leonardo nodded and she continued "Four of them are new recruits though, novices. We are training them. I have my own student, but have not yet begun to train her myself. Ezio and Machiavelli insist on letting my wounds heal first. So, Elletra, one of our _veterani_, has taken over her training for now."

"You must be one of his better assassins then, to already have a pupil in just a few months."

"Eh. Not really." Nika huffed out a laugh. "I used to think I was good, but the last month has proven otherwise. I have just recently been promoted to _mercenario_ and am still going through my own training. Our _maestro_, Vincenzo, is to be my teacher. Before him, Domenico was. He's the other _veterano_. "

"Ezio does not train his recruits himself?"

"Sometimes _si. _He personally saw to Domenico, Elletra and Vincenzo's training. The three of them trained Melchiorre and I. But, sometimes Ezio will spar with us, to keep us in shape or teach us something." She rubbed at her side, the scabbed wound that was still healing reminding her of her own lesson.

"I worry about the Brotherhood." Leonardo said suddenly and before Nika could ask why, he continued. "Were I truly an enemy disguised as Leonardo, I could have gained much information from you now." His voice was thoughtful and by no means threatening, but Nika narrowed her eyes and looked at him sharply.

"Were you truly an enemy, I would kill you where you stand." Her words were biting and Leonardo paused mid-step. The look he gave her was calculating, but then he smiled and clapped a narrow hand to her shoulder.

"Of that I have no doubt, _donna pericolosa._" They were silent the rest of the walk to headquarters. Upon entering, Leonardo looked around with open curiosity. She led him down the stairs and into the main room. Only Vincenzo was there, the dark haired man's eyes were barely visible from underneath his hood. Out of all the recruits, he was the only one to keep on his attire at all times.

"_Buona sera_, Vincenzo. Where is Machiavelli. This gentleman wishes to speak with him." He nodded towards the room with the paintings and as she and Leonardo made their way over, she felt Vincenzo's eyes tracking them. As they passed the older recruit, she discreetly touched his arm with her fingers in reassurance. He gave her a small nod, but otherwise ignored them afterward. Machiavelli was studying a painting in the back of the room when she found him. He turned to them and the blatant look of surprise on his face when he saw Leonardo was almost comical.

"Nika," Machiavelli's voice was urgent and he did not look at her. "Thank you for bringing this man to me. I ask that you leave us now. He and I have much to discuss." When she did not leave, suddenly wary that Machiavelli would attack Leonardo, the inventor spoke up.

"It is quite all right Nika. I too wish for some privacy."

With a nod, Nika said, "If it is what you wish, I will inform the others not to disturb you." She bowed to Machiavelli and then left the room. She didn't have to tell the others. Apparently, other than Vincenzo, they were out on missions.

"How are your wounds?" Vincenzo asked when she settled down on a chair at the table with the map.

"They are healing. The scrapes and bruises are fine and give me little trouble. It's the ones on my shoulder and leg that I worry about when fighting."

"Do not let your enemy see your weakness and you will not have to worry. They will heal in time."

"Vincenzo? What was your first real mission like? I do not mean the scouting and information gathering. Your true first mission."

"I failed it and got one of our younger recruits killed. She was caught by some guards. She was brash and hotheaded. A good fighter though. A good assassin. That mission was also the first time I had killed someone." Vincenzo's answer was level and calm. Much time had passed between the present and his past, where this young assassin had gotten killed.

"How old were you."

"Not much older than yourself." He shrugged. Raised voices came from the painting room and they both glanced at it warily.

"Have you been taught to use a cross bow?" Vincenzo inquired. Nika shook her head. Vincenzo disappeared a moment and returned with a crossbow and bolts. He gestured for her to follow him and she did so without complaint.


	10. Chapter 10

Machiavelli had given _Signor _Da Vinci a room just down the hall from hers, between Elletra and Domenico. Her's was next to Domenico's. Apparently, the man was having some hardships wherever it was he had been living and came to stay with the assassins for a while. He hadn't come out of his room much, so Elletra had assigned the recruits to send him up meals when they weren't busy.

Nika stayed outside most of the time, running the streets, remembering what it felt like to be free. Machiavelli allowed her the freedom, usually sending her on missions to watch over the novice's as they gathered information or harassed a Borgia follower. They never knew she was there.

Aria never knew about the two guards that had seen her pickpocket a merchant for an important missive – they found crossbow bolts through their hearts before they could even shout for Aria to halt. Fianna never knew about the guard who had trained his gun on her as she climbed the building after her first sloppy assassination – Nika had came up behind the man and broke his neck before he could get a clear shot. Luigi never knew that the woman he was romancing was a Borgia spy – she turned up dead in the river, drowned, two days later. Luigi sulked for a week, then raged about Borgia murderers. Nika and Machiavelli formed an unspoken agreement. What the boy did not know, did not hurt him. It fueled his hate for the Borgia and gave him a purpose to fight at least. If Nika felt a bit guilty about killing the woman Luigi had grown fond of, she challenged Vincenzo to furious spars that often left her too bruised and tired to think on it.

Raffaele, the most quiet of the new recruits, was the complete opposite of Melchiorre. Where the _mercenario_ was bold, confident and loud, Raffaele was insecure about his skills, about socializing with the other assassins and rarely talked. Despite that, and despite his mediocre skill in swordplay, he was the only novice who had yet to make a mistake that Nika had to quietly fix. Nika was, however, impressed by his ability to steal. And it was this particular skill that had her talking to Machiavelli after the novice had not only successfully stolen a prized sword from a noble family in the city, but had managed to avoid the guards and get back to the Hideout within the hour. She had no idea why he had stolen the sword, but it amused her, so she sought out Machiavelli.

"I want to request a change in novice training. Currently, Fianna is my recruit to train, once I get back on my feet, but I think it would be best if she is trained by Melchiorre, and I train Raffaele." She said, upon finding the man, once more in the art room. Only, Da Vinci was with him as well. She glanced between the men, the grim expressions on their faces and her eyes narrowed. "What happened?" She demanded.

"Nothing, Nika." Machiavelli offered her a small smile, before he said, "I agree with you, however. Let Melchiorre know you are switching novices. If he gives you any trouble, send him to me." He turned his back on her in an obvious dismissal, but her eyes flicked over to Da Vinci, who was worse at hiding behind a mask.

"It is Ezio is it not? What has happened?" she attempted to ask kindly, but the steel in her voice did not vanish entirely. Da Vinci looked back and forth between Nika and Machiavelli, mouth opening and closing in indecision.

"It is none of your business, recruit. I believe there is much you should be doing right now, instead of putting your nose into the affairs of your betters. Unless you need me to send you on a mission. We have plenty of those. Perhaps one to England? But, no. You will get into some form of trouble, that no good La Volpe never taught you humility. He taught you pompousness and arrogance. And that attitude has already endangered the Brotherhood. Perhaps a mission so far away would not be such a good idea after all, with no one to watch after you." Machiavelli began pacing, and his words hit hard, but Nika did not bat an eye. She remained as she was, standing straight, face impassive and kept her eyes focused on the angered man.

"That may be the case, _Signore_ Machiavelli, but there is one thing La Volpe taught me well. How to get information from people. If you do not tell me what has happened to Ezio, I will find out myself." She said steadily, though she wanted to punch the man in the face.

"La Volpe is your mentor? I knew you had mentioned being part of the thieves guild, but I had not thought that La Volpe was your mentor. How is he?" Da Vinci cut in, trying to ease the tense atmosphere between the two, but it did not work.

"I would have no way of knowing. After shoving me off on the assassins, La Volpe only shows up when he pleases. Just like a fox." She smiled angrily without taking her eyes off Machiavelli. Her words about La Volpe were unfair, but she made no move to take them back.

"Ah..." Da Vinci shifted nervously.

"Whatever bad blood is between you and La Volpe, Machiavelli, do not take it out on me. Ezio is my mentor now, and like you, I worry for him. What. Has. Happened?" Nika uttered quietly when Machiavelli made no move to speak. The silence stretched out and the older man kept his back turned on her. Just as she was about to yell at him, there was a loud clatter from the main room and Aria skid around the corner, wild eyed.

"Pardon me, but Master Ezio is back!" If the young woman had anything else to say, Nika did not stick around long enough to hear it. She flew out of the painting room and found Ezio sprawled by the doorway, a chair toppled over next to him. Blood coated his robes, making them more red than white and Nika's heart dropped into her stomach. Nobody moved for the longest moment. Da Vinci and Machiavelli were just as frozen at seeing their leader in such a condition, as the novices were.

Nika finally snapped out of the trance and strode to her mentors side. Up close, she smelt the sweat and the blood, but also the alcohol and sex. She frowned deeply and rolled the man on his back. His groan snapped the others out of it and Machiavelli and Da Vinci were kneeling beside Ezio with her.

"Is he alright?" Elletra demanded, but kept her distance. The question had the three of them running hands over Ezio for any sign of injury.

"It appears that the blood is not his." Da Vinci said at long last, when none of them found any injuries. A collective sigh passed through the room. Nika and Machiavelli got on either side of the drunk assassin and hauled him to his feet, dragging his arms over their shoulders. Between the two of them, they managed to drag Ezio to his room, Da Vinci hurrying ahead of them to open the door and throw back the mans covers.

"Nika, your assignment now is to take care of your mentor. Da Vinci has some medical skill and will help you." Machiavelli said in his no-nonsense voice.

"And you?" She asked as the man turned to leave. He just gave her a look and flew out the door, slamming it closed – a barricade between the three of them and the worried recruits who would not dare enter their mentors room without permission. Nika hissed out an aggravated noise before turning back to the bed.

"_Cosa ti è successo_, Ezio?" She asked, but the man only looked around the room, not really seeing anything. His hair was matted with sweat and blood, his skin ashen and his lips colorless. His hazel eyes were glazed over.

"Let us see if we can get him a bath, _si_? Between the two of us, I think we can manage." Da Vinci suggested, and Nika nodded. She went to the door and opened it; sure enough, the other recruits were still outside. She looked to Raffaele and Fianna, ordering them to bring up some warm water so Ezio could bathe. Once that was taken care of, she ushered them out of the room and closed the door once more.

Both she and Da Vinci rolled up their sleeves, Da Vinci taking off his tunic first, before they began undressing their friend. Just as Nika had never been bothered by her own nudity, she was not bothered with another's. She did not hold back a small smile when she caught sight of Da Vinci's blush. The man froze, looking quite frightened, and she shook her head.

"Your secret is safe with me, _amico_." Then she proceeded to jerk off the last of Ezio's clothes. Again, the two examined Ezio for injuries, but still found none, other than a nasty bruise on his back that looked like Ezio had fallen off a rooftop.

"Come on, old friend. Let us get you cleaned up." Da Vinci said, and even between the two of them, it was difficult to get Ezio into the tub of water. He dragged his feet, refusing to help at all and began muttering in French. Nika did not understand a word of it, but Da Vinci replied every now and then. They finally managed to get the man in the water and Nika was handed a rag.

"You start on his body, I shall get his hair." Da Vinci muttered, not meeting her eyes and she obeyed without hesitation. She scrubbed every inch of Ezio she could reach, not batting an eye when they found Ezio was not lucid enough to clean his own privates. So she set about cleaning those as well. Da Vinci had finished washing Ezio's hair some time ago and was talking to him softly in French, so Nika figured that she was not to know whatever the artist was saying. Every once and a while, Ezio would respond, and once they got the assassin dried off, in a clean shirt and pair of breeches and in bed, Da Vinci said quietly,

"His mother passed away a few days ago. He was with her for some time before she left this world. After, I assume he lost himself in drink and whores."

"And fighting." Nika added and the man nodded.

"He should be physically fine once he sleeps. His head will ache from the drink and the bruising, however."

"Alright. We can take turns looking after him. You can start. I need to make sure that the recruits know about the new arrangements. I am healed enough now to start on Raffaele's training, so long as I take it easy."

"Let me take a look at these injuries you have mentioned. Just in case." Da Vinci requested and Nika pulled up the leg of her breeches, a small feat since they were fitted over her calf. Da Vinci unwrapped the bandage, which Nika was happy to see had no spotted blood or any other fluid on it.

"This is healing well. The stitches may be able to come out in another week or so, but you will still have to be cautious with it. No strenuous activities, such as running or jumping from the rooftops. It will scar though."

"I am not worried about scars." Nika replied and the artist laughed.

"No, I suppose you would not be. It would be strange for a lady in this line of work to be concerned about appearances."

"I am no lady." Nika responded out of habit more than annoyance. Da Vinci offered a smile and rewrapped the healing wound, before pulling down the leg of her breeches. She allowed him to look at the cut on her shoulder and he offered to take the stitching out on that one, claiming it was not needed. So she handed him one of her knives and he went to work. When he tugged the stitches loose from her skin, she could not help but hiss at the sting it brought, but then he was wiping away the spots of blood and covering it with a fresh bandage he unearthed in one of Ezio's cupboards and she was free to leave.

She found Raffaele and the other new recruits in the main room, lounging around and she frowned at the lack of the other recruits. Spotting her, Aria was the first out of her seat and in front of Nika, quickly followed by the others

"Is _Signor_ Ezio going to be alright?" Her eyes were wide, fearing for her new hero.

"Ezio will be fine. He is just drunk." She said without thinking to soften the blow. These recruits will just have to get used to thinking of Ezio as a normal man. "Where are Vincenzo and the others?"

"Machiavelli sent them on a brief mission, they all should be back before morning. There is another gentleman here, however. He arrived some time ago, and went straight upstairs. He's been up there for some time now. Not long after Machiavelli told us to come back downstairs and stay away from Ezio's room." Aria seemed to be the leader of their little group, and although the woman was at least Nika's age, she couldn't help but think she was younger. She acted younger.

"Another gentleman?" Nika inquired, her brow furrowing in confusion. "Why did you not tell me?"

"We did not want to disturb any of you. He walked in as if he has been here before. He talked with us long enough to find out about Grandmaster-"

"You told him about Ezio? You cannot reveal information like that unless you know for sure who-"

"_Calmare tesora._ The Brotherhood has not been compromised." The voice was so familiar, Nika did not have to turn around to know who it was.

"La Volpe?" She was puzzled. He should not be there. He was supposed to be watching Sebastiano's family. Looking at the man, at the tightness of his lips and the haggard set of his shoulders, she was alarmed. She went to him immediately.

"What is going on, La Volpe? The Trabocchi family?"

"They need to be relocated Nika. The new recruits tell me that Ezio is not doing well. It is understandable after what has happened. They say Machiavelli is out as well. He is as deceptive as they come. I do not suppose you know where he has gone?"

"No. He sent the higher ranked recruits on a mission and left himself, according to them." Nika nodded her head towards the new recruits who were looking between La Volpe and herself. Neither made to introduce the master thief. La Volpe sighed, and nodded.

"Leonardo is here, _si_?"

"Yes." It was a simple question and she gave a simple answer. No doubt her mentor already knew the details.

"He will have to take care of Ezio. I need you Nika. Would you trust my life with these recruits?" He turned to the recruits he spoke about and began walking about them, studying them.

"No. I would not trust anyone but yourself and I with your life." Nika answered truthfully. Life was not something to play with, she had learned at a young age. La Volpe may play dangerous at times, but he never unnecessarily risked his life. He knew Nika prized his life above her own, and so trusted her to tell him the truth rather than to tell him what he wanted to hear.

"Pick two of them to accompany you. The other two will stay here to guard Leondardo and Ezio."

"What is happening? Who are you?" Fianna pried. They were all unsettled, Nika could see, but La Volpe was in a hurry.

"Rafaelle is only average in the ways of an assassin, but he would make a good thief and he is less careless than the others. Aria is not as observant as she should be, but she is a good fighter. Fianna does not like close range combat and prefers to kill her targets from further away and Luigi often allows his emotions to cloud his judgment but he is good at blending in and gathering information." She was not sure who she should choose. They each had their own strengths and weaknesses and it would depend on the type of task who she would choose. La Volpe, however, remained silent. It was up to her to choose her team.

Rafaelle's skills were similar to her own, so in a general sense it would be pointless to have two people of the same skill set – regardless of the level of skill – on the same team. So, Rafaelle she would leave here. But, because of his average fighting style, she was loathe to leave the Hideout unguarded – of course Ezio would still be here, but she was unsure of how the man would be feeling should someone attack and surely that was what La Volpe was hinting at – so, she would have to leave either Aria or Fianna here. Which meant Luigi would be coming with her.

Nika looked between the two women. Fianna was older than her, and Aria closer to her in age. Surely she got along with Aria better, but the woman was doubtlessly better at fighting and less likely to cause too much trouble with Rafaelle. Fianna needed a stronger personality to keep track of her.

It took her only a few seconds to make her decision.

"Luigi and Fianna will come with me. Rafaelle and Aria will stay here." She told La Volpe, and the mans lips twitched in amusement. He already knew who she would pick.

"Based on your assessment of them, and the information I have gathered myself, I agree with your decision. The three of you prepare for a week long trip. Nika, wear the clothes Ezio gave you."

"Hold on! Who are you to give us orders?" Fianna demanded. She had her arms crossed and was glaring between the two. "You may be higher ranked than us, Nika, but I did not receive any order from Ezio or Machiavelli saying we have to follow your orders."

"Sebastiano is that man who nearly killed you all those weeks ago, is he not? Why are we relocating his family?" Luigi inquired.

"He is. That does not matter now. We are to do what La Volpe tells us." She did not voice her doubts to the others, but La Volpe's behavior was strange. He usually stuck to the plan, and the plan was to wait for Sebastiano to come here to save his family and then to attack. Moving the family meant that something had gone wrong. That Sebastiano was not coming or that there was some greater threat.

"Be quick." La Volpe ordered and headed to the front entrance. Nika gestured for the recruits to do as they were told and made for the stairs herself, but was stopped with a hand on her arm. She turned to find Rafaelle looking at her in confusion, the others gathering closely around to hear what the quiet man had to say.

"Who is he? Can we trust him?"

"He is La Volpe, master thief and leader of the Thieves Guild. He was with us the day you met me. I trust him with my life."

"We should wait until Machiavelli gets back or Ezio gets better. He may be the leader of the Thieves, but not of the Assassins." Fianna stated.

"He is still part of the Brotherhood, though. We should do as he says." Aria reasoned.

"But Machiavelli said that we were to keep the Trabocchi family here, that the thieves would watch them while we watched the city. We are to lure Sebastiano here and then attack!" Fianna insisted. Luigi remained quiet, but he had a frown on his face, indecision present in his eyes.

"Besides, Nika. You are still injured. If any of us are to go, you should remain here." Rafaelle was only concerned for her, Nika knew, but she never liked being pampered. Not when she knew she could handle something.

"Enough. All of you are just wasting time. You have your orders and if you are concerned about what Ezio or Machiavelli has to say, blame it on me. I will gladly take responsibility. My loyalty lies first and foremost with La Volpe, who I know has only what is best for the Brotherhood at heart. I will follow him until death takes me. He has given me no reason not to trust him before."

"He sent you away to the Assassin's Guild." Luigi murmured. "You were becoming a great thief. I heard that you were getting nearly as good as La Volpe himself. Now, he has your friend running a Guild in a different city and your other friend is dead. Were not the three of you supposed to be the best of his thieves? And now you are all conveniently out of his way? What if he has switched sides?"

"You will hold your tongue!" Nika spat, grabbing a hold of his robes with both of her hands and giving him a shake. He merely looked at her with pity. The others said nothing. After a moment of silence, Nika scoffed and released her hold on Luigi before storming back up the stairs and into her room. She pulled on her robes over the breeches and shirt she already had on. She found her cleanest pair of stockings and pulled them on, quickly follow by the boots. Her belts and weapons were fastened and arranged to her liking and she stormed out of her room and towards Ezio's.

When she first came to the headquarters at _Isola Tiberina_, she did not trust Ezio. She loathed him because she saw him as the man that agreed to have her taken from her home – the Guild. However, over the months she had been under the Grandmaster's employment, she learned that the man would never lie to his friends or family. Perhaps he twisted the truth in order to protect those he loved, but she had not heard one outright lie from his scarred lips. Ezio, too, was similar to Nika – as La Volpe had once pointed out – and that gave the young assassin a new perspective to look from.

When Ezio was seventeen, his brothers and father were murdered. He was forced to be the man of the family and get his mother and sister to safety before he could get revenge on those who had ripped the family apart. Nika had been young when she lost her mother, and near Ezio's own age when she had lost her own father. Where Ezio had found a family with the Brotherhood, she had found a family with the thieves. In this way, she knew that Ezio would always protect the Brotherhood, just as she would protect any thief that she ran across.

In this way, she knew that Ezio was the only person who would give her the answers she required.

It pained her to doubt her mentor, the man that had saved her life in more than one way and more than once. But, she could not ignore what the other recruits had said. La Volpe had trained her well, and when her gut told her something was wrong, she had no choice but to listen to it. With this in mind, she quietly entered Ezio's room not even an hour after having left it.

"_Bella donna_. I thought you were going to train your friend?" Da Vinci's blue eyes were puzzled but Nika only spared him a glance before approaching Ezio's bed. She sat down on the side of it and lay her hand on his cheek. It was warm to the touch, but he had no fever as far as she could tell. He looked peaceful though. He never looked this way when he was awake – he was always alert and his eyes held a certain fire in them that one could not overlook. Asleep, however, her friend – for he had become her friend at some point – looked his age; beyond the peaceful expression were the years of hardship and suffering. The years of bloody violence and death, of trying to keep a hidden organization running and safe, of trying to do more than one man would normally be capable of. It was the fire in his eyes that held his youth, that playful, arrogant young man Nika had heard stories of, the man that chased after beautiful young women and was quick to fight his enemies. It was not until that moment – as she was deciding whether she should wake the man up and express her fears to him or not, deciding whether she should burden a man already burdened with his own troubles or not – that she realized her own fondness for him. Realized the respect she held for him for remaining vigilant through everything.

She had just begun to pull her hand back, deciding her doubts could wait, when Ezio's eyes flew open. Hazel eyes locked onto hers and his hand came up to grasp her throat.

"Ezio!" Da Vinci exclaimed and hovered just to the side of the two of them, but Nika could see the momentary confusion beginning to wane even as his hand loosened its hold on her. She remained still as he gave her a quick look over.

"Why are you wearing that?" Ezio asked. His voice was a bit raspy, but he did not ask for any water. He took his hand off her neck, though.

"I cannot stay long, but I need to clarify something." She had tried to keep her voice level, but Ezio had to have found some sense of urgency in her, because he struggled to sit up. She put a calming hand on his shoulder and pushed him back down.

"La Volpe is here. He arrived while Leonardo and I were tending to you." She noticed his eyes dart about the room before landing on Leonardo. A strange expression glanced across his face, and she thought that he was probably remembering everything that had happened to him the last few hours. "Ezio, Machiavelli has disappeared off on some business or another without telling anyone where he was going. He sent Domenico, Elletra, Vincenzo and Melchiorre on some mission that the new recruits are saying they will be back from by morning. And now La Volpe has showed up and told me to pick two of the recruits to take with me, that we are supposed to relocate the Trabocchi family elsewhere, as if there is some danger."

"I thought you would do whatever La Volpe asked of you. I do not see what needs to be clarified." Ezio retorted, but Nika could see the news of the Trabocchi family was new to him.

"Luigi said something that, as much as it pains me, I cannot ignore." She and Ezio stared at one another for a while before Ezio gave her a subtle nod – accepting that even she could doubt one she had previously followed blindly – and Nika continued after taking a deep breath to calm herself.

"He thinks that La Volpe may have betrayed us. That Lukah, Raffaello and I were becoming too good as thieves. He implied that La Volpe had Raffaello killed, Lukah moved to the position of Guild leader in Venezia, and me put under your care so that we were out of his way. So that we would not reveal him. I do not want this to be true, Ezio, but I...I.._feel_ like something is going wrong. I do not know if La Volpe's plan is just ill timed or if what Luigi says is true. But La Volpe is talking about moving the family, which can lure too many enemies. The Borgia's, assassins, Sebastiano...even other interested parties, and he only has me and two new recruits on the assignment. He mentioned nothing about the thieves." Nika stopped talking, feeling like she was just repeating herself. Ezio remained silent, before sitting up again, pushing away Nika's hands when she made to push him back down once more.

"I do not think La Volpe has betrayed us, Nika. In that you may be rest assured. But I would speak with La Volpe. I do not like the sound of his plans any more than you do."

"_Mio amico_, you need to rest. We can have La Volpe come up here." Da Vinci said, but Ezio was already pulling back the blankets and beginning to stand. Nika stood and moved out of his way. She could see the drink still ran strong in his system and that he was sore and exhausted, but the Brotherhood was important to him. When he stumbled, she grabbed his arm and pulled it over her shoulder. He tensed a moment, as if about to reject her help, but relaxed as much as Ezio could and headed to the door.

It was a lot quicker getting Ezio down the stairs than it was getting him up them. Nika had to admit that the recruits' reactions were quite funny. Seeing their idol in naught but plain breeches and a shirt, barefoot with his hair loose about his shoulders must have been a sight to them. Nika had only ever seen Ezio as a man – perhaps that had something to do with meeting him the way she had.

"La Volpe. I wish to speak with you." Ezio called, and although Nika had not seen her mentor, he appeared from the direction that Ezio had been looking. She glanced up at Ezio in time to see his eyes fade from a golden color back to their normal color. Strange it may have been, but Ezio was always full of surprises. Letting go of him when he pulled away, Nika stepped back to stand just behind and slightly to the left of Ezio. Although Nika could not see beneath the hood, she knew he was giving Nika a curious look. It was in the set of his lips and the angle of his head.

"Of course. But we should make it quick. Nika has wasted enough time." The words did as they were meant to do, lancing into Nika's heart and upsetting her. She clenched her teeth tightly, balled her fists and jutted out her chin, but La Volpe paid her no more attention after that. The two men disappeared into the next room.

"You should not have disturbed Ezio." Aria whispered. Nika ignored her and none of the other recruits spoke. Da Vinci came to stand beside her however, and although he did not speak, the hand the squeezed her shoulder relayed some comfort to her. Their conversation was brief and to the point, apparently, because the two strode back into the room not long after they left.

"Nika, you will take Luigi and Fianna to the gates of the city where you will meet up with ten of Bartolomeo's men. La Volpe and I are going to escort the Trabocchi family to you, and from there we will all travel outside of the city. Leondardo, you will stay here with Rafaelle and Aria. None of you are to leave headquarters at all until our return. Is that understood?" A chorus of agreements followed Ezio's words and the man made his way upstairs to don his robes.

"Would you have just listened to me, Nika." La Volpe said, and there was some heat to his words.

"Would you have not been acting so suspicious lately, _pap__á_." Nika retorted.

"He's your dad?" Luigi exclaimed and the others looked between the two in surprise. La Volpe sighed once more and turned to leave. If Nika had not known him all these years, she would not have noticed the slight slouch in his shoulders. Guilt trampled her like an angry mountain horse.

"Do not feel bad, _cucciola_. You were right to come to me." Ezio's fingers brushed her wrist as he walked by and, after a moment, she followed him and the other two recruits out the door. They all split as soon as they left the hideout. Nika, Luigi and Fianna acquired horses and traveled to the gates of the city where Bartolomeo's men waited for them on their own horses. Nika thought it looked a bit suspicious, so many people gathered together on horseback, but one of the mercenaries came forward and handed armbands to the three assassin recruits. They bore the mark of a band of mercenaries to the north and Nika thought she could guess their cover. Hired hands escorting a rich family.

They did not have to wait long, but as they did, Luigi came up beside Nika.

"I wanted to apologize for my words earlier. They were rash, and I should not have spoken them. If I had known he was your father, I would not have-"

"_Calmare_ Luigi. Even though you were wrong, thinking that La Volpe has betrayed us, it was not wrong of you to voice your opinion. We are not a Brotherhood of repression. And Ezio was glad that I informed him of La Volpe's arrival. He did not know about any of this." She did not explain to him her true relationship to La Volpe, but Fianna came closer to speak herself.

"Which is strange, is it not? He is our leader, but he does not know what is going on within his own Order?"

"There is something you and the other recruits need to understand, Fianna. Ezio is just a man. He is not God. He bleeds and tires just like the rest of us. He needs personal time, just like the rest of us. La Volpe may have the ability to be in many places at once, but Ezio does not. He saved you and the other recruits when you joined. You recognized the strength in him and it is that strength you must believe in. But, Ezio cannot fight this war on his own. He needs us to trust him." Nika held Fianna's gaze, and the older woman turned away first.

"I will follow Ezio to hell and back." Luigi stated proudly, and Nika could not help the grim smile that crossed her face.

"We may have to, Luigi. We may have to." It was not long after that when a horse led carriage pulled up, black curtains covering the window. La Volpe and another man sat on the bench, and Ezio followed behind on a horse of his own. The mercenaries fell into place: two took the lead, and four lined up on either side of the carriage. Nika gestured for Fianna to take her place on the right and Luigi to stay to the left before joining Ezio to take up the rear. She waited until they were clear of the city gates before asking one question that still bothered her.

"Ezio. Why are we moving the Trabocchi family?"

"Sebastiano is on his way to the city."

"Should we not keep the family there, then? I thought the plan was to lure him into a trap."

"We are Nika. Outside of the city, in order to keep the innocent safe."

"Then why are you and La Volpe so grim? I thought this would be a good thing. To kill Sebastiano would eliminate a large threat to the Brotherhood. It may even wound Cesare himself. Surely with La Volpe's tricks and your skill in battle, it would be easy to kill him." Nika's words caused Ezio to smile slightly.

"While your words are endearing, _cucciola_, there are some major points you are missing."

"Then enlighten me."

"You can never know for sure what is going to happen during a mission. There are too many things that can go wrong and change the outcome. It is also foolish to rely entirely on my skill and La Volpe's tricks."

"Perhaps you are right."

"Of course I am right." They shared a short laugh, but Nika noticed Ezio hesitate to say something.

"What is it?"

"Sebastiano travels with fifty armed men." Ezio stated it as if he was just relaying information on a normal day, but his words made Nika's blood run cold.

"But...Ezio. There are only sixteen of us, assuming the man with La Volpe can fight."

"I know." He stated calmly. How could he be calm in a situation like this? They were heading into battle with a man who was backed by more than three times as many men than they had. Not only were they supposed to protect Sebastiano's family – they were innocent after all – but they had to make sure Sebastiano did not escape with them either. They either had to capture or kill Sebastiano, who would be a match for Ezio on one of his better days, completely disregarding Ezio's recent drinking binge and bruises.

"A good leader knows how to keep their fears hidden from those that follow them, Nika. Do not wear your emotions so plainly on your face. If the new recruits saw that you were fearful, or that I was fearful, that same fear would be instilled in them and they would waver in the face of battle."

"They are new recruits!" She hissed. "They are not ready for something like this. Maybe if we had Vincenzo and the others with us, it would be a different story. I cannot fight _and_ make sure that they are kept alive. It-"

"That is not your job, Nika. Their lives are not yours to worry about. If one fights near you and you see they need help, then help them if you can. But do not go out of your way to save them."

"But-" Nika started, and Ezio reached over to grab the hand that held onto her horses reigns. The horse snorted in irritation, stopping abruptly. Ezio leaned closer to her, even though his eyes never left their small procession.

"Sometimes we have to make sacrifices. The Assassin's are not like the Thieves. We risk our lives for the safety of others. We die to ensure that others can live, even while we end lives. You have to come to terms with the fact that you will have to watch your friends and family die, _cucciola_, without being able to do anything about it." His words were desolate and the younger assassin did not like this. She grabbed his stubbled chin in the hand he did not have a hold of and forced him to look at her.

"Just because that is what happened to you, Ezio Auditore, does not mean that I have to sit idly by and watch those I care about die. If the other recruits, or you, or La Volpe were in danger I would try my damnedest to help you. I would not merely give up your lives because it inconvenienced me or because I was scared of what might happen. I get it. You were seventeen at the time and the people that killed your family had more power than you. There was nothing you could do then, and I _get _that. I watched my own father die. I was the reason my mother died. I do not linger over that. It hurts, I know, but it is in the past Ezio. We cannot change the past. Only the future." He looked like he may be angry at first, but the fire in his eyes changed, softened into a warm glow rather than a blazing inferno. He released her hand at the reign and instead gently pulled her hand from his chin. He paused a moment before bending over it and placing a light kiss across her knuckles, the way a man had not done to her since she had lived with her father. A light blush warmed her cheeks and Ezio chuckled, a rich sound that originated deep in his chest. She pulled her hand away a bit too quickly and nudged her horse forward, but Ezio's chuckle followed her. She hid her blush by flipping her hood up and ignored any curious glances shot her way. A few moments later found Ezio at her side again, and she tilted her head toward him when he spoke, but did not look at him. Afraid that the blush would come back, she berated herself for acting like a swooning girl.

"I was wrong to despair, that much is true. But we have to be careful. Sebastiano's men will be well trained. Our priority is to assassinate him, but if you have an opportunity to save someone without compromising the mission, you have my permission to do so. We do have to look after one another, after all, if the Brotherhood is to exist through generations to come."

"_Grazie_." She said the words so quietly, she was not sure he had heard them, but he patted her lightly on the knee in acknowledgment. No more words were passed between them that day.


	11. Chapter 11

Nika sometimes wondered what her life would have been like had she stayed home. If she had wanted to marry the man her father had all but sold her to. Would she still be married to that man, with half a dozen children? Would she have been living a life of luxury or one of misery? Perhaps both? Would he have been a nice husband or abusive? Would she have learned to keep house and play hostess for social events, or would she have the same personality as she did now? Would she be a different person? Certainly she would have a different skill set. There would have been the high possibility that Nika would never have met any of her current acquaintances: Ezio, La Volpe, the other recruits, Leonardo.

She could not really imagine a life without any of them. Ezio's stubbornness, his courage, his willingness to sacrifice himself for the greater good of the world. La Volpe's sternness, his silence, his ability to seem uncaring but love another deeply. The recruits all had their own quirks: fiery tempers, shyness, humility, arrogance, skill, humor, but above all personalities that never allowed a dull moment to pass on Isola Tiberina. Even Leondardo, and she had only known him a few days. He too was quiet, but like the thieves and assassins around her, he watched and studied people. Figured them out. Nika was not sure he even knew he did it, was not sure how he figured into the Brotherhood at all. But, it was obvious he was sweet on Ezio, and Ezio cared for him as an old friend would.

There _was_, however, the possibility she would have been killed the night her father had been, by the same man. Then, she would not have been alive to chase the man and La Volpe may have never killed the murderer. Sabastiano would not have had cause to create trouble for La Volpe and nobody would be where they are now. Nika may have felt like a nobody, but when she thought about things in this manner, she realized just how big of an impact her actions had on others.

Had she stayed at home, married the man her father chose for her and acted as any other respectable lady should, La Volpe would not have gained a daughter – she would have continued to be the girl who looked at him in wonderment when he paid her father a visit – and he would never have sent her off to be trained as an assassin. The only chance, had she stayed, to meet Ezio would have been if he ran into her on the streets or if he chose to assassinate her or her husband.

She absolutely would not be a part of a family of thieves and trained killers and people who sold themselves for money; people who risked their lives to save others without anyone else being any the wiser. _We work in the dark to serve the light_.

Any time Nika had thoughts like these, she had to take time to remember the good things. Befriending Lukah and Raf. She had been new to the thieves guild, and one had to prove themselves among thieves. Once she had, Lukah and Raf had been close to her. They had been inseparable. They formed an alliance so strong, that very few doubts passed between them and La Volpe trusted them with his more secret work; the delicate assignments. Something, however, had changed in her when Raf was killed. It was as if every shard of any childish innocence she had left was gone. She knew pain, sorrow, and hopelessness. She knew death of family and friends. She and Lukah had grown apart. Nika became quiet and isolated herself. La Volpe neither encouraged nor discouraged her actions. He gave her space to find herself once more. It was not until, in the moments before the battle with Sebastiano – while looking around at the ruffians...no, Assassins...she kept company with – that she finally understood.

Nika was neither thief nor assassin, because without one, the other would not exist. The Assassins would not be able to operate without the courtesans, the thieves or the mercenaries. Each brought their own skills and information into the picture, just as that innocent, sixteen-year-old lady-to-be was still part of her; just buried underneath what she had become. Nika was her own person, yet she was not just Nika. She was _tesora_. She was _Signora Lupa_ and _cucciola_. She was even Vittoria Capello. '_Nika_' was just the sum of everything she was. And, if any one piece was missing, it would cause the entire thing to come crashing down around her.

There was a purpose to this moment, to being here with La Volpe and Ezio, with the thieves and recruits. There was purpose in having the Trabocchi family, to confronting Sebastiano and his men. And, there was also a purpose to win; a reason to defeat this man in battle. They say hope and love give a person the strength and courage to fight. That they were the key factor that went into winning the great battles of the past. But, what many people do not realize is that hope and that love can come in various shapes and forms.

So, when she pulled the five-year-old Trabocchi boy out of the carriage and saw the rage on Sebastiano's face, she learned something. Just because this man was a Templar and worked with Cesare, just because he had tried to kill her and wanted to kill La Volpe, did not make him any less a human. He was still a father and a husband, a man with a family he wanted to protect at all costs. A man whose family was now in the hands of the enemy. Now, it came down to two things: would he throw aside his loyalty to Cesare and save his family? Or would he forsake his family to remain in Cesare's favor?

Behind Nika, Luigi and Fianna secured the two girls and their mother, making sure that they would not run, even as the young boy screeched and clawed, trying to use all his body weight to escape from her. Nika hissed as sharp nails raked down the front of her neck, leaving red trails that burned. Adjusting her grip, she leaned down to whisper urgently in the boys ear.

"Behave. If you do, I will let you go to your mother, _capisce_?"

"What if I don' wanna?" the boy took on a haughty appearance, his nose sticking up in the air and his eyes peering defiantly at her. Nika had no experience with kids, much less spoiled ones. Nearby, Luigi laughed under his breath. She frowned, more at the fact that Luigi was making fun of her than anything, and said,

"Then you will never see her again." Instead of quieting down, the boys screaming turned to loud wails and large tears began to fall.

"You leave him alone, _puttana_! He has done nothing! By the Saints, he is only a boy!" The mother screeched, trying to break free of Fianna's hold. Fianna was stronger, though and had no trouble restraining the hysterical woman. Fianna lost her temper when the woman turned and spat in her face. Fianna let the woman go and punched her. _Signora _Trabocchi fell to the ground, unconscious. Fianna wiped the spit of her face in disgust and left the woman where she was. The two girls kept quiet, other than a sniffle here or a whimper there. Luigi had his arms wrapped around their waists, as if comforting them instead of restraining them. The youngest had her face buried in his shoulder.

The emotions flying around made Nika uncomfortable. She had never known a mothers love. She did not know what it was like to have a child she loved in the hands of an enemy. Ezio was correct, though. The life of an Assassin was not filled with glory. More oft then naught, one had to perform horrible deeds in order save lives.

If Sebastiano was allowed to march his men into Roma, allowed to bring these soldiers to Cesare's aid, then there would be little hope for the citizens and little hope for the Order in Italia. Especially if they brought down La Volpe and his men, like Sebastiano no doubt planned to do. It had already been a close call in Venezia. If any of Roma's factions fell, they would have to give their homeland up to the Templars, and Nika was not prepared to do that. Not yet.

"_Mamma_!" The boy cried out with wrenching sobs. Nika had to grab him about the waist and lift him up before he ran towards the unconscious woman. She did not know why they had to keep them separated, but La Volpe had ordered it. Nika suspected it was in order to keep the others from running away. A family would not leave another behind, especially a young child.

When the boy continued to cry and scream, Nika sat the boy down and, using one hand, she yanked her hair scarf from around her head, roughly tying it about the boys mouth. It did no good. If anything, he got louder. He turned back and forth jerkily, trying to rip free of Nika's hold. Nika growled in frustration, wanting to hit the boy. Everyone's attention was on the two of them; Nika grit her teeth. A hand landed on her shoulder and she looked back and up at the man. Ezio was smirking at her within the shadowy confines of his hood.

"May I?" he inquired, gesturing to the boy.

"Go ahead." She released the boy and took a step back. If Ezio believed he could do better, then he was more than welcome to. The boy made to run again, but Ezio was quicker and grabbed a hold of him. He spun the boy to face him and brought a finger to his own lips. A simple '_sshhh_' got the boy quieting down, even though he did not stop struggling entirely. Another weak '_mamma_' escaped him.

"Now, child. There is no need to cry, is there? Your _mamma _will be fine. You are a big boy. What is your name?"

"Petruccio." the boy sniffled, though his voice was a bit muffled by the scarf. Ezio gently removed it and tossed it to Nika. She caught it and gave it a look of disdain when she noticed the wet spots from the snot and tears. She definitely did not like children. They were more trouble than they were worth. Ezio never took his eyes off the boy.

"Petruccio. That is a good name." Something in his voice caught Nika's attention, but she could not see his face. He sounded sad and Nika did not like that the boy had caused that. He ruffled the boys hair and continued. "We have some business with your _pap__à_. If he works with us with no problems, then you and your family can go back to him and you all can go home."

"Okay." The boy mumbled, his eyes on the ground. He wiped the tears from his eyes with a fist. Ezio ruffled his hair, stood up and said,

"This lady here is a friend. Her name is Nika and she will take care of you." The boy obediently made his way over to Nika and although he stood no closer to her than he had to, he was not fussing. Ezio did not acknowledge her afterward. Instead, he went to stand beside La Volpe who was a few yards in front of Sebastiano. The two of them had been staring each other down the entire time, as far as Nika had noticed. As soon as Sebastiano had been sure they were not going to kill his family outright, anyway.

The mercenaries that Bartolomeo had sent with them, as well as the few thieves that accompanied La Volpe, stood in a formation similar to the Templars that stood across from them. Nika, Luigi and Fianna stood in front of the formation so that the Trabocchi family would create a sort of barrier should any fighting truly happen. Nika was pretty sure that La Volpe hoped to be able to talk things over and come to an agreement, or else he would have brought more thieves, asked for more mercenaries. Bartolomeo would be here, Ezio would have called Vincenzo and the others back to him.

Looking at Sebastiano, though, Nika was not entirely sure he would just bow down to La Volpe. Cesare had offered him power and standing among Italia's most powerful people. La Volpe and Ezio were naught but scum to them, and the only power Ezio and La Volpe had rested in the shadows, in treachery and deceit. In death. They could not move their pieces as deliberately as the Templars. That may give them an advantage, though, if they could play their pieces correctly.

Sebastiano, now that Nika had a chance to actually look at him, could be considered handsome. His hair was short, dark blonde, and curly. His nose was strong, but straight and pointed down to a thin upper lip and full bottom lip. His skin was a deep tan and his eyes a striking blue. His children barely looked like him at all; they took after their mother with dark hair and eyes.

"So, you must be the illusive La Volpe. It is about time I finally get to face my cousins murderer." Sebastiano spoke as if he and La Volpe had already been in the middle of a conversation. Insinuating his cousin was innocent made Nika angry. He had killed her father. Nika grit her teeth and clenched her fists, if only to keep from lunging at the man. She would like nothing more than to plunge her blade into the man's throat and watch the light in his eyes fade as he choked on his blood.

"Your cousin sealed his fate. He should not have crossed me." La Volpe responded calmly.

"Crossed you? My cousin was a simple man, he knew nothing of you." Sebastiano snarled. His lip curled up in a sneer and he was no longer attractive. La Volpe laughed, low and cruel, meant to chill the enemy to their bones. Nika watched as some of the soldiers under Sebastiano's influence shifted nervously; Sebastiano only had eyes for La Volpe at the moment. It was good to know La Volpe still had his edge. Everyone heard the stories about La Volpe: how he could appear in many places at once, that he was immortal, and a ruthless killer. It was his eyes that they found most unnerving.

"Business said otherwise. While I may not have had direct dealings with him, I had dealings. He and another were business partners, working with me, until your cousin betrayed the both of us. I do not like working with traitors."

"Yet, if it was not for your little pet over there, he would have escaped your clutches. Getting old, now, are you?" Although he posed a question, he did not stop long enough for an answer. "I will give it to you, La Volpe. Hiding your little pet away these past months among the assassins. I had an exceedingly difficult time finding her. I wonder, have you told her why you sent her away?"

"He wanted to hide me from you, so you could not use me against him" Nika spoke up. She held her head high and squared her shoulders. Sebastiano's eyes flicked to hers, and although she wore her hood up, their eyes met and held. A slow smile spread across his face.

"Ah. So you have neglected to tell her." A delighted laugh bubbled up from his chest and he threw his head back.

"_She_ is right here and can hear you just fine." Nika retorted with a frown. Was La Volpe truly keeping something from her, or was this just some ploy Sebastiano had come up with? The expression on his face though – he had genuinely thought she knew about whatever it was La Volpe was supposedly keeping from her. And obviously found it amusing that she was in the dark, as he had yet to stop laughing.

"It does not matter. She is one of us now." Ezio broke in, speaking loudly enough to be heard over Sebastiano's laughter. He and La Volpe both were edgy, and it was in their rigid postures that she realized they had, yet again, kept information from her. She knew she was just one of Ezio's recruits, but she was supposed to be La Volpe's daughter. She trusted him – did he not trust her? Why was it that he sent her off to train under Ezio, if it was not to ensure her safety from La Volpe's enemies?

"Volpe?" she asked, wanting him to assure her that Sebastiano was just a scheming prick.

"It does not matter, _tesora_. You are an assassin now and-"

"I have not yet taken the leap. I have not yet been given the mark. But I _was_ one of your thieves, and a lady before that." _And you _will_ tell me_, she added silently, knowing better than to boss a leader of men around in front of his people. She knew he heard it in her voice though. La Volpe rarely missed hidden messages.

"A lady more so than you think." He still refused to face her. Ezio watched her with an unreadable expression, as she looked back and forth between the two. Part of her felt betrayed, though she did not know exactly why. Sebastiano watched on, amused, and everyone else was silent save for the rustle of cloth and clank of armor. A horse snorted and pawed at the ground. The sun was high in the sky and Nika felt sweat bead on her skin under the black robes. Forgetting about the boy she was supposed to keep an eye on, who immediately ran to his mother, Nika strode forward and gripped La Volpe's shoulder in an attempt to turn him to face her. He did not budge, so she ducked around to face him herself, her back facing the enemy. She saw Ezio's hand tighten on the pommel of his sword. Whether it was to prepare for someone attacking her from behind, or to help La Volpe should she attack him, she was not sure. Flicking her eyes between Ezio's face and his sword momentarily, she scoffed and turned her attention fully on the master thief.

"For once, La Volpe, stop lying to me. Stop keeping secrets and running away." Her words were low, meant only for La Volpe. Ezio was near enough to hear, but he kept his eyes averted and allowed them their privacy, though Nika had no doubt that he could not help but listen. La Volpe made to protest, but Nika barreled on.

"You would sooner charge into battle than to face me when you think I might get upset over what you have to say. You have done it before. You refused to talk to me after you told me I was to train under Ezio. You neglected to tell me why I was leaving my home and my family until much later. Even then, you and Ezio argued over it until Machiavelli told me. I get that I was an arrogant child. I still am at times, but you are a father to me, and I do not like that you keep these things from me. That you ask Ezio, my friend and mentor, to keep these things from me. That it takes a man you despise entirely to inform me. What do you fear so much, old man, that makes you hold your tongue?" Nika gripped her fathers tunic, searching his purple-brown eyes for answers she still could not find. It was like searching an entire pile of hay for one of Rachelle's needles. Sebastiano began laughing again, louder and louder as La Volpe remained silent, as if he heard the entire conversation. It was maddening. Nika's grip tightened and she ground her teeth together. Just as she was tensing up, preparing to yell or throw a knife at the man to get him to _be quiet_, La Volpe spoke.

"I fear loosing my only daughter. My _tesora_." La Volpe's eyes softened and he brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes. "Must you know, Nika? Can you handle knowing I have kept something important from you?"

"I am not the scared little girl you met all those years ago, La Volpe. I have learned to lie and steal and kill. The world has been laid before me in its harsh entirety. I doubt there is anything left you _can_ protect me form anymore. In this world, I will figure out your secret eventually."

"Like a wolf tracking its prey. You never give up." Ezio sounded a bit exasperated, but he chuckled and some of the tension vanished. La Volpe sighed and Nika felt that the next five words should have changed everything. They should have made everything come to a screeching halt or flip everything upside down. Perchance they should have brought her world to an end, or caused some catastrophic change in the weave of the world. But, all it did was cause a sudden breathlessness and a small, sharp pain in her chest, even as she turned to face Sebastiano. A smirk slowly spread on the Templar's face as she gaped at him in shock, La Volpe's words echoing in her head.

"_Sebastiano is your half brother._"


End file.
